Everything Wrong With: Ace Attorney: Spirit of Justice
by PierceTheVeils
Summary: No video game is without sin.
1. Everything Wrong With: Episode One

Everything Wrong With: Ace Attorney: Spirit of Justice

Episode One: The Foreign Turnabout

 **Spoilers... (duh)**

"Discount Tibet. Except this country wasn't taken over by a neighboring power demanding sovereignty at the threat of vio-... oh, wait a minute." *ding

"Narration." *ding

"Timeskip occurs literally one minute into the first case. And I thought Dual Destinies was weird about their sequencing." *ding

"We get an opening cutscene, and then... an opening cutscene. The last two games just stuck with one, and maybe an establishing shot. Right from the outset, this game is telling you that everything crazy will be at least doubled in magnitude." *ding

"How does having a child take the blame remove or even lessen the blight on your soul? I don't know about this religion, but most gods are omnipotent and don't need your crimes to be proven in the human world in order to punish you in the afterlife. If anything, this just doubles your sin count. And that of the game's." *sin count doubled

"Phoenix perpetuates the stereotype of an American tourist by taking pictures of literally everything, and is still surprised when Ahlbi sniffs him out." *ding

"Also, this game's name puns. I don't feel like calling them out throughout the game, so here are ten sins upfront for the cover charge. I would blame this on localization, but apparently the Japanese version is just as bad." *ten sins

"Phoenix gets a magatama cake to celebrate his arrival, but I don't. I just get to sit here and look like an asshole." *ding

"Maya Fey has returned to this series, but she's not in this case. So I can only remove five sins right now." *removes five sins

"When foreigners come to this country, the thing they most need to see is... a fourteen year old girl dancing. Yeah, I took that line the wrong way." *ding

"Was it really necessary to blow the door open? These people are in a crowded room with the princess, and that could hurt somebody. Not to mention, your suspect is a nine year old boy who can be easily detained. I feel like I'm going to be saying this a lot this game, but unnecessarily violent actions are unnecessary." *ding

"And now they're surrounding him with guns, as well as a random tourist. See earlier sin." *ding

"Phoenix tells the bailiff at the door him and Ahlbi are friends despite literally meeting yesterday. That's... wait. That's actually pretty in character for him." *so no sin

(Bailiff poses for a picture) "Phoenix does not get a picture of this." *ding

"Phoenix tries to run from and directly disobey a guy with a big gun _after_ seeing how Ahlbi was arrested. I understand the plot needs to happen, but this is just stupid." *ding

"Here's one of my biggest gripes with this game, and I'm just going to get it out now. Khura'in is an isolated mountain nation with their own distinct culture. They have their own language, and appear pretty unified in culture, minus the new immigrant uptick. We can probably assume Khura'inese is spoken by just about everybody, so if that's the case... why the fuck are their trials held in English? What possible reason could everyone in the gallery have to be fluent in English well enough to keep up with the following murder trial in a language that isn't their own? Why is no one at least translating it for someone who might not know one of the two languages? Why is their evidence also filed in English? What about their verdicts? This doesn't make any fucking sense, and no one bothers to explain it at any time during the game. It gets even weirder when you think about the Japanese version, because Japanese is by no means as global a language as English." *ding

"For the second game in a row, Phoenix enters the first case by dramatically screaming Objection from the doorway. It's awesome, but well on its way to becoming a cliche." *ding

"If Phoenix was really an ordinary tourist, what makes him think he can just hijack a trial to question a country's legal practices? Is he trying to make the list for top ten American tourists? What would he do, if his legal defense was considered invalid on account of being a foreigner not possessing the country's required credentials? Does this not count as being in contempt of court? Phoenix does a lot of stupid things in order to get the plot moving, is what I'm saying." *ding

"I can accept the princess's Divination Seances being important to this country's murder trials. I really can. But why do they let the fourteen year old give the insights? Why not make that the prosecutor's job, or an unbiased legal expert's? Is it nepotism? A plot device for showcasing Rayfa's development later? I need answers to solve this case." *ding

"Nation's princess threatens to have a tourist (who hasn't even done any defending yet) shot as a souvenir. Because that wouldn't cause an international incident." *ding

"Gaspen Payne tricks Phoenix into possibly getting himself killed... because Phoenix managed to defeat him in court once. Yeah, seems fair." *ding

"Gaspen Payne left America sometime after Dual Destinies, which wrapped up in December 2027. This game opens _four months later._ How the fuck is he a Chief Prosecutor in anything other than a self-styled nickname? If it is anything other than a title he chose to give himself, he's getting more than one sin here." *ding

"Also, Gaspen Payne in bling." *ding

("Heavens to Betsy!") "How on earth does Rayfa know this phrase? It's an American saying from the 19th century that went out of style decades ago." *ding

"Phoenix does not have ten years of experience. He has four. I understand this series wants to deny parts Apollo Justice happened, but counting your disbarment period as experience is bullshit no one here can call you out on. When an entire country has this much distrust of lawyers, lying to them is not the best way to get on good footing." *ding

"Treasure guards have guns, police officers have big guns, bailiffs appear to have assault rifles... and America is the one with the gun problem here. Though based on my knowledge of Apollo Justice, if not earlier, we will pass stricter gun control in the near future." *ding

"In Payne's version of events, he forgets to tell us how the heck Ahlbi got into the Treasure Room in the first place. Did he Apparate? Did Rohl have to use the bathroom and not get a shift partner? Does this get explained at all?" *ding

"Does the defense have a right to cross examine anybody in this court? I ask because in DGS Episode One, you need permission from the judge for that stuff, and in some countries, the defense has to work with witnesses and prepare testimonies same as the prosecution. Phoenix just gets lucky that Khura'in's court system pre-DC Act is so similar to America's. Sin for incredibly convenient coincidences." *ding

"Judge is considerate to his wife. Because this case needs it, I will remove one sin for the judge being a decent person and later almost as fair and impatial as the judge back in America, even in this fucked up system. Nice to know we have one less thing to worry about." *removes a sin

("This must be a new experience for you, Mr. Wright. Being loathed by a client.") "It's really not. Edgeworth was pretty angry at him for making him lose twice, Lana was completely against his efforts and constantly told him to give up on her, Engarde hired an assassin to target Maya partially to make him suffer, Blackquill (as an unoffical client) couldn't stop cursing him... really, this was an inevitable next step in uncooperative clients. And that's not even counting Apollo's." *ding

"Are monks allowed to have businesses? Later, the game makes it sound like they have to remain ascetic and detach themselves from the material world. Not to dash Ahlbi's dreams, but this sounds like a road to disappointment." *ding

"Why is the gallery so vocal in this game? They've never had this many lines, and most of them here are just them being dicks to the defense or defendant. And none of the members ever get kicked out for this in either country." *ding

"Phoenix keeps saying he has the right to things, but um... he's in a foreign country. Should he really be making assumptions about what rights a lawyer does and does not have anywhere, let alone in a country this distrustful of lawyers even _before_ he knows about the DC Act? It's probably not intentional, but it makes him sound entitled as fuck." *ding

"How does Nayna slide across the screen like that? Unless this game tells me, I'm just gonna assume she uses roller-skates." *ding

"The Dance of Devotion sequence." *removes a sin

"Hey, are there musicians playing the Song of Ceremony where we can't see them? Are they using a recording in court? If someone were to play a note wrong, would the victim's soul still show up? Does the dance have to be set to this music in particular in order to work? If so, why? I need answers to solve this case, goddammit." *ding

"We know what the victim is hearing at the time of their murder, but can't actually hear what they hear. This would make future cases so much easier, so I'm gonna go ahead and sin the fact now." *ding

"I strongly object to the wording of the DC Act. Without further elaboration, you can imprison or execute somebody for selling food to a guy on the run. That act unknowingly supports a criminal. What if you're the accused's spouse, and giving them emotional support to get through prison? Are you just as guilty as they are? There's a reason laws tend to be so wordy and convoluted. I hate it too, but it serves a purpose to clarify issues like this, goddammit. Also, Ga'ran has no purpose for making the law this confusing. If she wants to discourage accomplices and attornies to criminals, she can still do that with a clearer law. She wants a centralized state with absolute power, but how can she have that when the law is so unclear, making it difficult to follow? And how the serious fuck was she in power for twenty three years this way?" *three sins

"Death penalty for a nine year old boy. I'd award more sins for this, but I'm trying to keep the first case's sin count semi-reasonable. So..." *three more sins

"Where does Rayfa disappear to in the wide pan shot?" *ding

"Does Rayfa have to dance every time I replay the Seance vision? If so, I really feel like an asshole after the my first playthrough of the game." *sin on me

"Also, how to these things rewind? Or pause?" *ding

"Blackout before the murder cliche." *ding

"Payne underestimates Phoenix's ability to come up with implausible but true scenarios. This is the problem with attempting to get someone you've only met once executed: you don't know them well enough to assess your chances of success." *ding

"Also, does anyone really think Phoenix is gonna die here? He's an important character, and we still have four episodes to go. That shit's too heavy for a first episode unless you're AJ:AA or DGS." *ding

"Tongue shears." *ding

"Fainting in court cliche." *ding

("Exterminate! Annihilate!") "I miss the days where the gallery just chanted Barnham over and over. Now it sounds like they're watching a wrestling match. Or an exterminator commercial." *ding

"Judge has the balls to kick his future sovereign out of the courtroom for the defense and truth's sake. Go His Magistry!" *removes another sin for this guy (not that it helps the case much)

"Aw fuck, they dragged another adorable animal into these games? As long as we don't have to cross examine it, I'll only award a half sin." *half sin rewarded

(Ahlbi can understand Shah'do) "Ahlbi and Luke Triton are long lost relatives. Calling the theory now." *ding

(Andistan'din starts singing) "We interrupt your regularly scheduled murder mystery to bring you... Turnabout Musical!" *no sin, because TM was awesome

"Also, this guy got to preform a rock song testimony before Klavier Gavin did. That's wrong no matter how you look at it." *ding

"Gaspen Payne is singing." *ding

("Words of wisdom! Words of truth! Erm... Baby tooth, forsooth, phone booth!") "His Magistry is me when writing poetry." *ding

"Gaspen Payne is still singing." *ding

"Phoenix joins this group song after refusing to do so in Dual Destinies. What brought about such a dramatic change in character?" *ding

"They do not perform the rest of this trial in song. Because that would have been interesting." *ding

"Wait... if Andistan'dhin can't read the notice because it's in Khura'inese, how was Phoenix able to?" *ding

"Dumb and Dumber reference." *ding

"Why does the judge get better at rhyming when he's giving penalties?" *ding

(witness goes metal) "Where did the amplifiers come from? And why was he wearing an electric cord as a... yeah, this isn't the weirdest transformation of the game. I'm not gonna linger on it." *ding

"Why does a damahlan have electric capabilities?" *ding

"Guitar music continues even when the witness is not playing his instrument." *ding

("I've got chills, and they're multiplying.") "Phoenix Wright confirmed to be a Grease fan." *ding

"Thief and murderer are separate people cliche, a la Turnabout Visitor and the The Stolen Turnabout. Replace one of the charges with assault or bombing, and this cliche applies to both The English Turnabout and Turnabout Countdown. For a foreign country with a completely different legal system, it's amazing how many cliche boxes they check." *ding

"First time the Pursuit theme plays, and it can barely be heard over the gallery chatter." *ding

("You can disappear like a magic trick?) "How does Andistan'dhin know what the next case is about?" *ding

"For the first time since Kristoph Gavin, a first case killer is smart enough to remove the evidence most needed to incriminate them. Glad they took my advice from the Dual Destinies review and upped their game." *removes a sin

"Angry man exposed as a thief and murderer is not allowed to use swearwords. Even in a- wait, this game is rated T? What the fuck? In whose mind is Dual Destinies more deserving of an M rating than this game?!" *ding

("We're not gonna take it! No, we're not gonna take it!") "This line is appropriate for Andistan'hin, but shouldn't it be Twisted Brother, since he's a monk?" *ding

"Also for a monk, he sure does a lot of grinding and thrusting on that witness stand." *ding

("Mr. Wright, do you expect magic and mystery to be around every corner?") "After raising Trucy and being a lawyer in this universe? Yes, yes he does." *ding

"Phoenix is laughed at for suggesting a key can change shapes in this universe, simply because he isn't Edgeworth." *ding

"Wow. This locking mechanism is incredible, considering it's over a thousand years old." *ding

(Andistan'dhin's breakdown) "No one goes deaf from this." *ding

"Amps don't work like that. And how did it not break the damahlan?" *ding

"Why do the same butterflies Nahyuta has resting on his fingers in America leave the Pool of Souls? Are they flying to go visit him? Are they comprised of the spirit of the victim, now that Phoenix has revealed the truth of his death? Is it an omen of the Holy Mother's approval? This makes even less sense than the confetti." *ding

"The Defiant Dragon's theme." *removes a sin for epicness

(Inga appears) "This asshole." *three sins

"Also, Khura'inese guy speaks English like a 1950's gangster. Who taught him to speak this way and what were they awarded for their hilarious prank?" *sin, because no one tells me

"Ahlbi tries to steal the title of motormouth from Wendy Oldbag. Wait... is Oldbag still alive in this universe?" *ding

(Ending cutscene) "How is Datz talking to Dhurke about this case? As of right now, he's still in prison. Yes, this cutscene could take place after Episode Three, but why put it here then?" *ding

"Non-villain acts like a villain for the sake of suspense cliche." *ding

 **Total Sin Tally: 83.5**

 **Sentence: Incredible Pain (and tinnitus)**

* * *

 **A/N's: So this is what was chosen by the majority for the next CinemaSins review. Not gonna lie, I'm pretty excited. Unfortunately, this means I have to beat Turnabout Time Traveler in order to sin it properly (as an aside) but it's so painful...**

 **Oof. I both look forward to and dread getting to the later cases. Would anyone be against me splitting my Turnabout Revolution review into two parts? Just so one chapter isn't insanely long and you have to wait forever? Let me know, I guess.**

 **But now, I need to go complete my Chinese homework. 那么无聊。。。**


	2. Everything Wrong With: Episode Two

Everything Wrong With: Ace Attorney: Spirit of Justice

Episode Two: The Magical Turnabout

"This may be my first review ever to start with a negative sin count, but... this opening cutscene is great. Trucy's back in the focus for a while, the animation looks awesome, and her trick reminds me of Daenarys Stormborn... damn it! I'm not heartless. I give credit where credit is due." *removes a sin

"Unfortunately, I give that sin back almost immediately for the main antagonist of the show being completely vanquished in Act One, needing to be brought back to life for the finale to happen. That's not how stories work, people. Unless you're Trials and Tribulations, that is." *ding

"Do people really say brava at the start of intermission? Or, they don't, and that's why I need to give Athena a sin here?" *ding

"Clunky exposition is clunky." *ding

"Phoenix took a trip to Khura'in the same time Trucy got her first televised show. Phoenix is a dick to his daughter." *ding

"Trucy signs a contract too quickly to have actually read what it says. For the child of a lawyer, this is incredibly stupid." *ding

"The magic panties are back. And Trucy still has one more year before I can make dirty jokes about it." *ding

"Also, Trucy throws the panties into the air, but we never see them land. Do they defy gravity, as well as the laws of matter?" *ding

"Game brings the bus back on Troupe Gramarye (with an added passenger) after a game of ignoring the existence of AJ:AA. So... which parts of that game do I acknowledge, and what's still in exile? Just trying to do my job right, here." *ding

(Bonny/Betty's design) "Looks like Capcom finally got my letter about including Playboy bunnies in a case. Nice to know they actually read their emails from time to time. Now if only they got that petition about localizing DGS..." *ding

(Mistree drops dead) "AA lawyer attends an important event for a friend and uncovers a murder cliche. I'm starting to think these people should just get banned from places. At this point, their reputation must be horrible." *ding

"I am not the staff member grabbing at Athena." *ding

(Retinz shows up) "Discount Johnny Depp is drinking discount Starbucks in discount Los Angeles." *ding

"TV News reports only on what is pertinent to the game's characters for two events in a row with no interruptions. Seeing as 2028 is a US election year, that is some bullshit. At least throw in an ad for Atishon, goddammit!" *ding

"Video conveniently doesn't show the sword as it's being pulled out of the coffin. If the blade's condition was determined to be either bloody or not bloody then and there, one side of the courtroom would have no case initially. This would have been an awesome contradiction to point out in court, so why was it not used?" *ding

(Charged with involuntary manslaughter) "This charge is upped to the traditional murder later in the investigation, but take a moment to think about this. How different and refreshing would it be to defend a client for being the cause of an accident? Sure, the stakes wouldn't be as high, but they're high pretty much the entire game, and this case later goes on to pull that "contract with three million dollars" stunt, so... what was there to lose by taking a new approach in a second case? Nothing, you say? Sin for the game teasing something interesting and not going through with it." *ding

"Defendant can't remember if they committed the crime cliche. Game pulls this bullshit three fucking times." *so three sins

"Trucy thinks because her father is a lawyer and she knows Mr. Edgeworth, she can tell the police how to do their jobs. Trucy is incorrect." *ding

"Trucy is tempted to not tell Apollo how the magic trick works, then remembers all the shit he went through in Turnabout Serenade because of Valant doing the same thing. Between this and knowing what to do in a kidnapping, Trucy is one of the series's most genre savvy characters, second only to Aura Blackquill." *no sin

"Trucy says Mr. Reus got injured thirteen years ago, but Manov Mistree was only thirty years old at death and does _not_ look seventeen in the poster. He looks the same age as he is now. Now _I_ might know why this is, but are you telling me _no one_ was suspicious at any point regarding his apparent lack of aging and scarless forearms before the trial started? At least conform to Hollywood and accuse him of plastic surgery, goddammit." *ding

"Apollo tells Trucy she can't keep everything inside after the shit _he_ pulled in Dual Destinies and throughout this game." *ding

"Trucy cries harder here than when she realized a family friend murdered her father (and that of another girl's) and stood a chance of getting away with it." *ding

"Ema Skye." *removes ten sins

"Ema has officially become a forensics investigator, but she still acts as a detective several times this game. Did the AAI's give me the wrong impression about forensic investigators?" *ding

("Goodbye grumpy clouds, hello fanatical sun") "Apollo misses the opportunity to make a "clear Skyes" pun. Sin on Capcom for making me do their job for them." *ding

"Nahyuta shows up in this country because insurgents are supposedly hiding out in LA, but until case five, we find no evidence of rebels showing up on US soil. Either he was misinformed, or all the insurgents were repatriated off-screen without the player's knowledge. Either way, it's a sin." *ding

"More clunky exposition." *ding

"Ema's hobby is also her job. I don't think she knows what the word hobby implies." *ding

"Ema is entirely too aware of series cliches to be a detective at a murder scene. It makes her sound like she's not doing her job properly, but it's also really fun character development. You can see the bind I'm in, here." *in the end, I still sin

(Athena going through Trucy's bag) "Writers wanted to include a dirty joke here, but like me, they remembered Trucy's still underage, so we don't get to know what the joke is. Does she have condoms? Handcuffs? Nude photos? The world will never know." *ding

"Apollo keeps manga at his work desk for "research". Yeah, I took that line the wrong way." *ding

"Rockstar in his mid twenties sent a teenager a bouquet of red roses and no one thinks that's weird." *ding

"Lamiroir/Thalassa is mentioned several times this game, but only ever appears in the credits sequence. Resolve the damn subplot already!" *ding

"Both Ema and Retinz can confirm it: smartphones have finally made an appearance in spring 2028 game-time. T _wenty-one years_ later than our world." *ding

"Also, let's just talk about the murder for a second: supposedly, Trucy stabbed the guy through a hole in the side of a coffin. Judging by the amount of blood on the sword, it went in pretty deep. How could Trucy not have noticed she was stabbing _something_ , had it been an accident? How did she not notice during the show, when she had the rubber sword hitting something? Also, for that much blood on the sword, one would expect a lot more blood in the coffin. Ema doesn't mention any getting cleaned up after the police investigation, so how does this charge make any sense?" *ding

"Speaking of blood, how is nothing dripping down from above right about now? Manov Mistree was skewered with a blade up there, getting wounded badly enough to kill him in one shot. Retinz would have to get his blood on the sword from _somewhere_ (we can safely assume above stage), but here, we run into the same problem as the sin above: how is blood not getting dropped onto the coffin below in large amounts? You expect me to believe the cushions are absorbent enough to defy gravity? Did the police investigate the above stage area at all? If so, how did they miss the blood? No way Retinz was able to clean it _all_ up in the limited time he had without the blood dripping on either him (which would have left him looking very conspicuous) or the floor as he left. So no matter which side you listen to in court, or how you spin this murder, the truth should have revealed itself waaaay quicker than it did in the case. I know this game somehow got a T-rating and including more blood might damage that, but this is just taking shits on realism. And the players!" *ding

"Apollo jokes about a guy falling to his death three cases before it supposedly happens." *ding

"The cushions on the catwalk appear both completely bloodless and too large for one man to switch out inconspicuously. So... how the fuck is this murder even possible? No way is someone stabbed fatally with the knife removed not going to give off any blood spatter. See earlier sins." *ding

"Why didn't Mistree scream at being stabbed unexpectedly? Most people would, and it would make this murder slightly more sensical if he did. Not that they care about making sense in this episode... or this game." *ding

"Getting stabbed in the back literally _and_ figuratively. This isn't the first time it happens in this game, but I'd like to keep Turnabout Revolution's sin count under a million, so I'm gonna sin it now." *ding

"Retinz seems to think he's on TV at all times. Is it delusion, or is he breaking the fourth wall? I can never be sure on this one." *ding

("Should have known better than to waste film on a nobody.") "Why are you still using film, dude? It's 2028 and you have a smartphone. Get with the times already!" *ding

("Say something dumb" and "Lay down a sick burn") "Retinz's notes are meant to be insulting, but all he's really doing is making fun of the script. Which makes me very concerned about the state of that wall." *ding

"Also, for characters often on-screen who occasionally speak directly to the player, Apollo and Athena sure suck at being on TV." *ding

"Since when did this universe get a Twitter? Why can't I follow anyone on it?" *ding

"Retinz claims all Gramaryes are criminals. Seeing as Apollo has experienced AJ:AA, he shouldn't be so quick to disagree. Fuck, even Trucy pulled some shit that he should still remember. I'm not saying she deserves a murder charge, but... Jerkass Has a Point, here. And he's treated like even _more_ of a jerkass for pointing out the facts. And that's my job, goddammit!" *ding

"For the first time since Farewell, My Turnabout, public opinion actually has a sizable presence in the case at hand. But this time, they take it a step further and make them a tangible barrier to reaching the truth, parodying reality in a way that is actually interesting." *removes a sin

"Game about lawyers thinks all you need are two signatures on a contract to be considered legit, but many formal contracts require a third party to be the witness to prevent this case's very scenario from happening. Also, Trucy is minor and her legal guardian is out of the country, making this contract invalid. Game fucks up contract law further in the fifth case, but I'll give three initial sins for down payment." *three sins

("I read the whole thing from top to bottom!") "Trucy did _not_ do this, but the game believes her anyway. Take two extra sins." *two sins

"Betty has Ga'ran levels of desire for seeing her enemy crying and begging. I get the twins are supposed to parallel with Ga'ran and Amara for foreshadowing purposes, but do they need to hammer it in _this hard_?" *ding

"Creepy heart eyed animation is creepy." *ding

("I smell "plot" with a capital P. U.") "Athena can't spell. Also, the game's characters are unusually self-aware this episode. It's starting to creep me out." *ding

(Take-2 TV) "Discount TMZ. It did not need to exist in this universe." *ding

"Host claims skewering footage is unedited and uncut, but we prove them wrong in court later. Sin for false advertising and rampant dishonest reporting. This puts Myriam's shit to shame, man." *ding

("We better quit before he shares what he intends to do with said footage.") "Apollo steals my line about the creepy cameraman. I thought only Kay did that." *ding

(Repossession of the WAA) "Um... this contract is clearly being disputed, here. Until a judge upholds its validity and declares Trucy the cause of the show's cancellation (which, by the way, hasn't officially been cancelled yet), no payment need be delivered, best I can research. In other words, this cheap stakes hiker is some bullshit." *ding

"Also, Apollo and Athena are lawyers. Shouldn't they know this?" *ding

(Reporters are "Hoping for an exclusive peak inside") "Peek is misspelled. I don't feel like calling every little error out throughout the game, so here's a blanket sin for all typos and grammar mishaps." *ding

("Just know you'll be the biggest losers in the end.") "Apollo and Athena get to compete in a reality show, which is nice, but... they're already skinny. Can't they try out for a different one?"*ding

"Gallery breaks the WAA's window and no one faces any consequences for it whatsoever." *ding

"Apollo's ringtone is the Guitar's Serenade. That song is determined it make it into every game since AJ:AA, isn't it?" *ding

"Bum Rap Rhiny phone charm reminds me of the existence of Bum Rap Rhiny." *ding

(Cutscene with Nahyuta) "Okay, two questions: The butterfly here is the real deal, but in court, it appears to be the translucent spirit of one. Why does that change from here to the courtroom? Secondly, where the fuck in LA is quiet enough for this guy to sit under a tree with little animals like a Disney princess and only be disturbed by Ema? It doesn't look like private property, and that city is fucking loud, man." *ding

"This guy's character design is so freakishly beautiful, I'm questioning things about myself. And I'm okay with that... And I am not okay with that!" *ding

(In court) "What was the point of putting all the information on a scroll in what appears to be Khura'inese? Seeing as trials in Khura'in are conducted in English (for whatever reason), he should be used to the language by now." *ding

"Aside from the p-word, Nahyuta appears to enjoy the word foolish almost as much as Franziska Von Karma. Who will _not_ be making an appearance in this game." *ding

"Here, he describes hell as a singular pit, but later, Nahyuta specifies several different hells. So, which is it? Is it like Dante's Inferno and set up in levels?" *ding

"Judge actually calls a prosecutor out for insulting the defense... and backs down almost immediately. Sin for the tease." *ding

("Why don't we look at this as cross-cultural exchange and try to be open-minded about it?") "Seeing as this would get Apollo threatened with jail time every time he makes a mistake, I'm a little hesitant to agree with the judge on this one. Sorry, Your Honor." *ding

"The Snackoos are back. And so is my chance of having them thrown at me." *ding

("Let it go, and move on") "In case you didn't know, Frozen was popular. Dual Destinies came out too early to make this reference, so they waited for this game instead." *ding

"Where does the butterfly spirit go when it isn't with Nahyuta? And why is no one but me commenting on the fact this guy can summon them at will? Did Blackquill and Taka just desensitize them to this shit? Are they taking the same approach they did with Dahlia Hawthorne and waiting for him to be exposed for several murders? This game never answers the important questions." *ding

("Get a little too addicted to using your precious white powder, did you, Ema?") "The cocaine joke is back from the depths of AJ. And unlike the Gramarye plotline, I actually liked that aspect of the game." *removes a sin

(Bonny or Betty claims Mr. Reus wanted to reveal Gramarye secrets) "Casual hearsay presented as evidence. I can _maybe_ believe Nahyuta not knowing that isn't admissible here (well, it isn't when convenient for the defense, at least), but what I can't believe is no one trying to call him out on it. Looking at you, Apollo." *ding

"Nahyuta solves the series problem of detectives feeding a prosecutor's information to the defense by simply withholding information. I'm not going to sin the act itself, but why does no one before him think of this?" *ding

"Nahyuta presents the murder vs accident argument to Apollo, which is near identical to the murder vs. self defense argument Franziska gave Phoenix in Reunion, and Turnabout. I seriously think these two have met." *no sin, because Franzy is awesome

"Hahahahahaha. Apollo the bell pepper." *ding

(Beads are thrown at Apollo) "How did he get those off without moving his hair? I don't see a clasp anywhere. And how the flying fuck does chanting... Ah fuck it. I'm never getting answers with this guy, am I?" *ding

("Bonny" in court) "Who let her bring rabbits into the courtroom? Is this a courthouse, or a zoo? Why are there _still_ no rules on what can and cannot be brought into this place? Were you people not bombed last game?" *ding

"Bonny isn't allowed to perform magic in the courtroom, but later, that's Trucy's entire testimony. Why is the defendant more privileged than the witness? Did these people learn nothing from the trial of Zak Gramarye?" *ding

("You didn't just snap- you broke character just now.") "APOLLO! Stop trying to bulldoze the fourth wall down! If the crossover was at least decent enough to wait until the very end, so can you." *ding

"Either Nahyuta keeps the Court Record and Khura'inist afterlife information on the same scroll, or he has two identical scrolls for these topics. Either way, this is a horrible method of organization." *ding

(Nahyuta asks how emotions constitute evidence) "Dual Destinies spent a game trying to resolve this question, but I still don't have an answer to it. Does that say more about me, or the writers?" *ding

(When accepting the judge's ruling on letting the defense use their superpowers) "After all the fuckery Blackquill pulled on His Honor last game, we're back on the turn of having a prosecutor that respects the judge." *one sin off

("Set the wild beast inside you free!") "This is my new pick up line. Girls go just batty for it, you know?" *ding

(Betty calls Apollo a lobster boy) "Everyone is comparing Apollo to food this episode." *ding

"Also, Betty hates Trucy, so her revenge is to... fuck up her own stage performance and make Trucy push heavy things? Compared the other revenge plots in this series, I think she might be new heree." *ding

("...Then we'll just have to MAKE it make sense.") "Yamakazi explaining his vision for this episode somehow made it into the final version of the script. Oh, and this:

Apollo: But we don't have to be bound by reality- after all, we're talking about magic here." *ding

(revealing the twins) "Why is there a spotlight set up in this courtroom? Who is operating it? Is it that same bailiff we had in Dual Destinies? Because that guy was awesome." *ding

"Why does this twist surprise Nahyuta? Are you telling me there's no record of Bonny having a twin that the police should have access to? Were the witnesses of the case not investigated at all? That wouldn't surprise me for this universe, but it's still a sin." *ding

"Also, character has an evil twin cliche." *ding

(Understage as the murder scene) "I would just like to point out that this theory has the same lack of blood as all other possibilities in this murder, and like the scenario where the murder occurs in the coffin, no proposed culprit has an opportunity to clean up after themselves. Seeing as Ema was asked to operate a stage lift, the police were definitely down there, so no way they would have missed this shit. Yes, I am still bitter about this. Almost as bitter as I am about nobody pointing this out in game. Nahyuta, I'm looking at you now." *ding

(Bonny insists neither Betty nor Trucy is the murderer) "Damn, Bunny Girl had it figured out before anyone else did. Go Bonny!" *no sin

("It was as if the whole chain of events had been planned out in advance.") "Well yeah, you all seem to know you're in a fictional universe... wait. Is Nahyuta the only one who hasn't realized it yet? Damn, I thought this guy was supposed to be perceptive (I mean, he's utimately right, but-)." *ding

(Betty releases a bat from her hat) "Earlier, this was a bunny. How does Betty change which animal she releases when her true nature is revealed? Is she somehow storing both bunnies and bats on her person? Am I asking too much of a game with three day trials, lawyer executions, and magic panties? Why yes, yes I am." *ding

("Even as you are inescapably caught in the web of fate you've spun for yourself") "Spider imagery is used three cases before becoming significant." *ding

"Trucy is momentarily cornered by a murder charge, so she channels both her fathers and pulls a turnabout via magic trick to escape conviction. This is a well drawn parallel to the trial of her father, which introduced her to Phoenix Wright, and something I am genuinely willing to take a sin off for." *so one sin off

"If blood supposedly came off of the sword when it was drawn out of the body, why wasn't there more in the- you know what? Fuck it. I give up." *ding

(Athena says she's going to get the bailiff if Retinz keeps filming during recess) "I think the better question is how can the bailiffs not see this shit? They're standing a few feet away!" *ding

(Gallery harrasses Trucy) "No one gets kicked out for this." *ding

(Trucy's magic testimony) "Where did the witness stand go? Are you telling me it can be picked up and moved at will? Why was this never used before?!" *ding

"Also, while awesome, this game's police force just allowed a teenager suspected of _stabbing_ a dude to use a sword with zero precautions taken to ensure she can't hurt anybody. Or even protect her from an accident. Remember: the original charge against her was _incompetence_ while using a sword. If she were really guilty of either, she or a second victim is fucked." *ding

"Where is she hiding the other sword? Is it the same hole in space where she keeps Mr. Hat? Her magic panties? This trial answers none of the important questions." *ding

"In the new footage, Bonny appears to run into the cameraman. Did she not know he was there? Was he even there on the job, or just a disguised creep? The world may never know." *ding

"Creepy pervert saves the case cliche, a la Turnabout Corner. The only way this case could have been _more_ AJ:AA is if Klavier were the prosecutor." *ding

(Nahyuta watched all of Retinz's shows the day before the trial) "Unless this guy has a Time Turner, that is bullshit. Only way this would be possible is if he asked police officers to "help" him get through it all. Can't imagine they'd refuse." *ding

"Also, scene of this guy at a fast food restaurant was not included in the final version of the game. Not even as a cutscene." *ding

"Nahyuta says he has the power to remove witnesses, but in the DLC case last game, Blackquill complained that he couldn't. What changed over the course of nine months?" *ding

(Retinz complains the magic show was a snoozefest) "Then why the fuck were you airing it? I mean, _I_ know why, but this just calls attention to the discrepancy your testimony creates. Between this and his later actions, I think I can safely say the culprit foils their own plot." *ding

"Witness is on his phone while testifying and no one tells him to put it away. Or remove it from his person." *ding

"Same goes from the camera. He's already been told to put it away once. That shit should be confiscated." *ding

"Also, who writes the notes on the signs Retinz holds up? Vera Misham? We never see him write in anything new, so... did he just come to court with prepared phrases written out? Does he take them wherever he goes? I'm so confused right now." *ding

(after proving Retinz conned Trucy) "Man now under suspicion for contract fraud is in no way concerned about it and continues to mock the defense throughout this murder trial. It's like he was planning to be convicted for murder later and knows he shouldn't sweat the small stuff. Because seriously, that's the only thing that explains his breakdown later." *ding

(Magician with a reason to hate Trucy) "Is it Valant Gramerye? You know, the guy who wanted to marry her mother, was cheated out of love and livelihood by her father and grandfather, and lost his second shot at fame the day before thanks to a suspected evidence forger coming forward with a document from a guy who disappeared years ago? Because that would make total se- oh wait, wrong game. No, game's talking about Mr. Retco- I mean Reus." *ding

"Also, victim wasn't the mysterious performer cliche, a la The Monstrous Turnabout and, to an extent, Turnabout Ablaze." *ding

"The Confess the Truth theme does not suit both the American and Khura'inese courtroom, only the latter. Why they couldn't keep using Dual Destinies's when the first three in the series sound so similar is anyone's guess." *ding

(Pointing out the lack of injury) "Why is Apollo the first one to notice this? Also, if Mr. Reus was kicked out of Troupe Gramerye before he could perform any shows, how did Mistree become such a diehard fan of work he likely never saw?" *ding

"Body parts as evidence cliche. I think I prefer the boobs in the final case, but this reveal is fun too." *still sinned

"Mr. Reus's theme song." *removes a sin

"Also, why is Retinz so determined to tarnish the Gramerye name? They imploded years ago, Trucy is too young to remember him, and neither she nor her father had anything to do with his failures. You can argue unresolved bitterness, but remember- he gave his magic to Mistree two years ago. Two years ago, in April 2026, Zak Gramerye was murdered under an assumed name. The rights, as it were, had no clear recipient. This means Retinz was preparing for something he couldn't have possibly known would take place and killed his only known fanboy for this unnecessary plot. And I thought Manfred Von Karma couldn't let it go and move on." *ding

(The fire trick) "(In song) Hellfire. Dark Fire. Now Gramarye it's your turn. Convict me, its dire. Prove guilt or you will burn!" *no sin, just me fucking around

"Also, no one is even slightly concerned a man coming under suspicion for murder could potentially burn the courthouse down. Between this and the sword, the police suck at their jobs. And I thought bailiff standards were rising, goddammit!" *ding

"Roger Retinz attended the Kristoph Gavin school of setting up elaborate murder traps years in the making. The student may have had more immediate results, but he's also vulnerable to conviction under a court system not set up by his enemies for the specific purpose of taking him down, so... I give him a B plus, at best." *ding

(Apollo suggests Retinz has a brother) "I think I'll let the murderer handle this one:

Retinz: Again with the twins business?! You think the audience will let you get away with using the same gimmick twice in a row?

I mean, this game _did_ get away with it in several areas, but it's still a sin." *ding

"Also, I would just like to point out that this is the second case without the murder weapon being filed into the Court Record or on someone's person, and that the fourth case pulls this same stunt. After this game and AJ Episode One, the twist is now a series cliche. That is how much this game both repeats itself and rips off the black sheep of the series." *ding

(Nahyuta reminds Apollo no blade was found on the catwalk) "Sure, point this out, but not the lack of blood. At this point, I should really just let it go and move on. Still bullshit, but the worst has yet to come." *ding

"Thought Routes." *removes a sin

"Nahyuta's breakdown recycled from Cammy Meele." *ding

"Nonsensical as it is, Retinz's breakdown is awesome, and worthy of the removal of three sins. Though I still don't know where the red curtain came from." *three sins removed

"Retinz brags about getting the leg up on Trucy, but he was still taken down by the son of Thalassa. So either way, for better or worse, the Gramaryes still win this one." *ding

(Court is over) "If Trucy's show lost its producer and costar magician, how the fuck is it still on schedule? I mean, sure, she no longer needs to pay three million dollars, but the idea they can go forward without delay is bullshit." *ding

(Scene with Nahyuta) "Obvious foreshadowing is obvious." *ding

"After two years of mistreating Apollo, Phoenix finally learned how to be a good boss." *removes a sin

(Apollo on stage) "And after five seconds of appreciation, Apollo is back to being a buttmonkey for everyone who knows him." *returns sin

"And in a twist of fate, Trucy gets to narrate the case ending instead of one of the lawyers. Do I remove a sin for refreshing different, or add one for fourth wall breaking?" *does nothing in the end

"Also, ending narration." *ding

 **Total Sin Tally: 105**

 **Sentence: The (Bloodless) Fires of Hell**

* * *

 **A/N's: Holy crap this took longer than expected. I ended up removing so many sins I thought were too nitpicky or contradicted themselves. Still, hope y'all enjoyed themselves. Would you believe me if I told you I actually liked this case a lot?**

 **Now, off to write some V-Day romantic crap, to be posted on Tuesday. Stay tuned, please leave a review below, and I'll see you on the far side! I need to go to bed...**


	3. Everything Wrong With: Episode Three

Everything Wrong With: Ace Attorney: Spirit of Justice

Episode Three: The Rite of Turnabout

(the opening cutscene) "These guards realize prisoner 201 isn't in his bed, and immediately sound the alarm on top of the mountain near a city, where they wake everyone up like an asshole. They couldn't have searched the prison first, or checked the Inner Sanctum? Those are the only places he could be alive without a plane, and I'm pretty sure they would have noticed if he had one." *ding

"These rebels are talking loudly about rebel activities in public and are surprised when somebody catches them." *ding

(Lady Kee'ra flies over) "How did the Khura'inese get jetpacks before we did? I know America's falling behind on math and science, but I didn't think _this_ place would pass us." *ding

(Gameplay starts) "Narration." *ding

"Ahlbi says it would take him a day to explain the rite, but we see what they do later: it's a feast followed by two days of praying, unless you're Tahrust Inmee or Maya Fey, in which the latter is dipped in water and walks around lanterns. Not that complicated." *ding

"If people pray for fifteen hours a day, how does anyone keep a job? Is sleeping included in that time? Do they measure time differently? Can one pray and work at the same time? If so, how? I enjoy many of the crazy bits about this game, but I would enjoy them more if they were explained even slightly. *ding

"Maya Fey." *removes five more sins

"Phoenix lampshades the fact Capcom has done nothing to develop Maya's character after twelve years of not being in the main series, and... that's supposed to make it better. Sorry Capcom, that shit only works if you're Deadpool." *ding

("I better throw in a few prayers for things to not end in a flaming disaster, then.") "Phoenix did not pray hard enough to prevent the flaming disaster from happening. He's also twenty-three years too late." *ding

(Phoenix questioning the existence of a possessed robe) "And somewhere in nearby Nepal, Dr. Strange feels an odd disruption in the universe." *ding

"Maya criticizes Phoenix's 3D character design. I realize hers is awesome, but she doesn't have to rub it in." *ding

(Maya jokes about being the masked killer) "Foreshadowing." *ding

"There is no good reason to attach bells to your ankles. Absolutely none." *ding

"Phoenix has swallowed glass and poison, gotten tased, been hit with a fire extinguisher, dropped into a freezing river during winter, and hit with a speeding car, no big deal, but what causes him to get seriously injured? Straining his back in high altitude. At thirty five. What, does being away from his American office make him vulnerable to injury again? Did the magic wear off after all these years? I need answers to solve this case, goddammit." *ding

"Game plays suspense music at the mention of Maya's arrest, like it's even suspenseful anymore. Honestly, I think it'd be more suspicious if she _wasn't_ accused of murder. Series cliches gotta cliche, after all." *ding

"Also, Maya gets accused of murder cliche. Since this is the fifth time it's happened in the series, I give this cliche five sins." *five sins added

"How does Ema's smartphone work fine up on this mountain? I'm no expert, but I wouldn't think a place like this has good WiFi." *ding

"Also, who the fuck decided to put not one, but several structures on a tall, steep mountain accessible only by foot and (if you're the prison) airplane? Was part of early prisoners' punishment building their prison up here? How many people fall off per year? Does forcing Phoenix to revisit the Inner Sanctum during investigations make me an asshole? Why yes, yes it does." *ding

"Ema continues to be entirely too helpful for a detective on a murder scene. Is this the game that cliche finally dies? (sobs) I'm... just not ready to let go." *ding

"So let me get this straight: a popular god-like figure named Kira(/Kee'ra) rises up out nowhere to rid the place of criminals, no one knows how they can pull it off, and it takes the intervention of a famous foreign crime fighter to discern their secret identity? Wow. This case is a _lot_ more Death Note than I think they intended." *ding

"We don't see Nayna in the wide pan shot of the Inner Sanctum, and Phoenix never comments on seeing her walk the stairs, but she's up here anyway. I'm guessing she can teleport." *ding

("In my country, suspects are innocent until proven guilty.") "Hahahahaha. Phoenix actually said this." *ding

"Fourteen year old with _Inga_ for a father somehow doesn't know any swearwords. Her insults would be a lot more bearable if she did." *ding

"If no one comes up here, how did they get prayer flags hung?" *ding

"Phoenix lectures Rayfa for trying to take things from a crime scene, then steals a bloodstained paper... from the crime scene." *ding

"The Holy Mother and Lady Kee'ra are the second pair of women to directly parallel with Ga'ran and Amara the end of the game. How much foreshadowing do these women need?" *ding

"Datz escaped prison yesterday, so he... wears his normal clothes and runs around in public talking to strangers? I understand he has amnesia, but why is no one- say, Beh'leeb Inmee or another rebel- trying to stop him?" *ding

"How _did_ he get his clothes back? Shouldn't he be in prison garb of some kind?" *ding

"Also, Discount Larry-Gone-Badass." *ding

"This guy has sewer lizards on hand despite not yet returning to the sewers. Or are you telling naturally cold blooded creatures live at the top of a snowy mountain?" *ding

"The Detention Center's bars are so wide apart, Maya could escape through them. Now that I think about it, so could Ahlbi. This seems like really poor architectural planning." *ding

"Phoenix Freedom Express." *ding

"Rayfa sinks to the ground out of guilt, and Phoenix just leaves her there. I guess they had to save all the comforting for the finale." *ding

"Grieving widow imagines her husband talking dirty to her through a portrait in front of a fourteen year old girl and goes off to mast- holy fuck I just typed that." *ding

"Phoenix traveled to a foreign country and didn't bother to learn any of their language." *ding

"Discount Steel Samurai." *ding

"Being exposed as a rebel (well, target of a rebel hunter. Same thing, right?) in front of the nation's priestess only warrants three Psyche Locks." *ding

"I can believe this lady having pictures of neutral and smiling Abbot Inmee in her house, but why the angry face? Who looked at Abbot Inmee giving them the death stare and said 'You know what I need? A picture of your face right now.' And then _actually_ got it?" *ding

(Visiting the palace) "Ga'ran isn't showing off her boobs or threatening our murder in this scene." *ding

"Why is Amara helping Inga with execution orders?" *ding

"Using cigars as a stamp. How does that not burn the paper? It wouldn't be a very pleasant cigar if it wasn't lit. Have I sinned this scene enough already? Unfortunately, I haven't." *ding

"Inga has clearly graduated with honors at the Blackquill school of communicating only through foreshadowing." *ding

"Did he just call Phoenix "White"? ...Hey! Phoenix did _not_ murder his mentor, thank you very much!" *yet another sin

(Maya says her spirit channeling was hit or miss) "No, it worked perfectly when the plot demanded it. You were just a slave to the storytelling, is all." *ding

"Phoenix wastes precious investigation time discussing The Plumed Punisher with Maya. I mean, _I_ know it's going to be relevant to the plot later, but no way Phoenix knew about it." *ding

(Maya wants to pitch a Plumed Punisher/Steel Samurai crossover in the US) "Maya better not take this to Take-2 TV, or I'm gonna boycott, goddammit." *ding

(In court) "See, the Khura'inese understand how stab wounds and blood spatter work. Why can't American stabbing victims get their shit together? If the game can show off this much blood and still be rated T, the last case could have done it too." *ding

(The Hell of Tickling) "Whoa. When did the Island of Perpetual Tickling come to Khura'in? Unexpected Veggie Tales crossover is unexpected." *ding

"Creepy Seance vision is creepy." *ding

"We get a second tutorial for the Seance gimmick despite already using it in the first case. I thought after the last game, this one wasn't supposed to hold your hand." *ding

"If Maya really passed out during the rite, why didn't Inmee hear her fall over? And we later learn the Lady Kee'ra robes were draped over the Warbaa'd statue, but if that's true, how is it holding a dagger that isn't there and not look even slightly misshapen? This doesn't make sense now, and it definitely doesn't make sense later, when the truth of the case is revealed. The only thing that could make this more nonsensical is if they switched the launchpads on- wait, wrong game." *ding

"I wish I could sin the refining a sensation gimmick, but... I'm already accepting the fact dancing around a pool can tell a specific soul to play out its last memories. So instead, I'll just sin the fact this only comes up now, with no previous hint of such a thing being possible." *ding

"Also, what defines a soul's 'last memories'? If they were poisoned with something that takes days to work, would we see their memories from when they were poisoned, or just the last minute or so of life? Is there a time limit? A way to go back further and search through their memories? Why is nothing explained in this game?" *ding

"Did Abbot Inmee climb the mountain barefoot?! Just... why?" *ding

"The lantern contradiction. I cannot be the only one who got a guilty verdict trying to spot it." *ding

"Why don't the bells on Inmee's feet ring when he turns around? Is he magically able to make them silent for the sake of a plot twist?" *ding

"Defense lawyer suggests the possibility of the third person in a locked room (Or in this case, isolated mountaintop) mystery... and the entire court is surprised by this. I thought they kept up with series cliches, goddammit." *ding

"'There were only two people at the scene of the crime! I will prove that by presenting a third party's testimony.' I'd reconsider your strategy Nahyuta. I've seen prosecutors use it before, and trust me, it never ends well." *ding

"Datz Are'bal on the witness is the most hilarious and frustrating thing about this entire case. He makes me want to remove and add ten sins simultaneously." *in the end, they cancel out

(A'nohn Ihmus TBD) "Also, Nahyuta either gave this guy an intentional pun name, or he is really bad at spelling. And in all honesty, I don't know which is worse." *ding

"Phoenix objects to letting an amnesiac testify despite once winning a case in that condition. In other words, this is some nonsense." *ding

"How does Datz know we have the weather forecast on hand? And since when can people trust the weatherman to be right?" *ding

"Guy with a shaggy bowl cut and full beard mocks someone else's hairstyle." *ding

"Also, why would the people at the prison allow Datz to grow his hair out in a way that obscures his face? Wouldn't they want to identify him easily?" *ding

"You've heard of flying killers and flying defendants, now it's time for some flying witnesses. And for once, I'm not talking about the parrots." *ding

"Nahyuta compares lawyers to bacteria as an insult, but bacteria as a kingdom is mostly beneficial, with only a few awful strains ruining their name. Which is... actually, a really good way to describe lawyers in this series." *no sin

"Phoenix cares whether a witness is credible or not, but given the next case, I don't think anyone else does." *ding

"Wouldn't sewing all these prayer flags together take forever? How did no one in the prison realize what Datz was doing? Also, how did he hoard so many prayer flags without drawing attention? This is never explained." *ding

"Also, if the only way in and out of the prison is via helicopter, how do guards get home every night? I wish I could say they were flown down, but knowing Ga'ran and Inga, that's shit's too humane for them. They're probably trapped up there with their prisoners, and fucked in the case of a riot. Sin for horrid working conditions." *ding

"Can we take a moment to appreciate the fact that Datz just wasted forty five minutes of game time trolling us? I mean, part of me wants to hate him for this (without him, well, the case is forty five minutes shorter), but the other... is genuinely impressed. We all wish we had the guts to be an outrageous witness in an AA trial, and this guy managed to pull it off without even witnessing anything, just... improvising. While amnesiac. Like a Phoenix." *sin, but only one

"If Nahyuta knew or even figured out during the trial who Datz was, why didn't he arrest him that minute? Why only send guards when Datz stands a chance of getting awa- ohhhh." *removes a sin

"How did Datz get orders to escape while in prison? Were they hidden in the prayer flags Abbot Inmee donated? Are the guards trapped on the mountain too bitter about their working conditions to give a fuck what comes in and out? That's really the only way this escape plan as we know it has any chance of succeeding." *ding

"Nahyuta claims Datz would be too conspicuous if he came down the mountain without Abbot Inmee, but... He did just that and wasn't even recognized until five minutes ago. And we've met Datz. I really don't think he cares about being inconspicuous." *ding

"Nahyuta throws his beads at Phoenix, but in the next shot, they are back on his neck. Where is he keeping his unlimited supply?" *ding

(Claiming the warbaa'd statue is Lady Kee'ra) "Once again, Nahyuta is great at figuring out the murderer's plan... but not the murderer's identity. If he has the skill to do one, why not the other? At this point, the only thing standing in his way is the plot." *ding

(The Guilty Verdict) "Fission Mailing. Every player's most hated cliche, and it stretches longer than the AA average of five seconds, just to spite you. I can't be the only one who thought they put a bad ending sequence in the third case." *ding

(Maya's accused of being Lady Kee'ra) "Why does Phoenix take the long way in disproving this? All he would have to do is find out the times of all the masked killer's killings/arrests, compare them to Maya's schedule, and present several instances in which she has an alibi. Sure, they can still argue she committed a second murder, but two is much different than two dozen. And it presents the possibility of a second Kee'ra, so all they have to do is seek out her boyfri- wait, wrong fandom." *ding

(Back to investigating) "Foreign lawyer marked for death is allowed to travel around freely with no supervision, even though a foreign visitor is the very definition of a flight risk. I realize the plot needs to happen, but this is just stupid." *ding

"In an attempt to make Rayfa feel better, Phoenix... Threatens to forge evidence? After all the shit he went though in game number four? Don't you think that's in a bit of poor taste, Capcom?" *ding

"For what reason would Maya want to kill rebels? She's a foreigner! I highly doubt she cares about the political situation in her training country... or her own country, for that matter. What, did they just assume all Americans are interventionists in foreign affairs? If so, that's racist." *ding

"Beh'leeb kisses the portrait several times, and we know from the end of the case she's wearing lipstick, so... why is no lipstick getting on the picture? Was is that hard to animate a red smear on the glass?" *ding

"Maya defends Nick by... insulting a girl half her age for a system she neither put in place nor has the power to change. And Maya's thanked for it." *ding

"Tentacled hag frogs." *ding

"After fifteen years of spirit channeling being introduced to the series, we finally learn some rules about it. It's come so far from being a mentor ex machina, I'm almost proud of this plebotium's progress. (Sniffles) It's growing up so well." *ding

(Discount-Tibet claims they've never been invaded) "Cruel irony." *ding

"Gaspen Payne is spoken about in the past tense, which really makes me wonder: if defense attorneys get the sentence of their clients for losing a case, what happens to prosecutors who lose? ...I think I know why Nahyuta runs back to the US at the conclusion of this case." *ding

"Phoenix wants to see Ga'ran dancing for him. And that is _not_ a fanfiction I want to read." *ding

(Shah'do tracks down Datz) "Discount Missile. Because all dogs feel an overwhelming urge to track down the person they smell on a piece of presented evidence." *ding

"Datz pulls a knife on Phoenix and pretends he's about to kill him... then pulls out an apple. Because he needed to make sure everyone down at CinemaSins knew he was an asshole." *ding

"Also, Datz shaves _one_ apple... the proceeds to stuff _several_ shaved apples into his mouth, just to look like even more an asshole. When the fuck did he shave all those apples?" *ding

"Also, this guy knocks out, kidnaps, and threatens to kill Phoenix, but is still considered a good guy by the end of the game. Behold, the power of infectious humor." *no sin

"Casual perjury. Also, he never atones for it. At least make like Gina and feel bad!" *ding

(The photo) "Apollo's backstory, take three." *ding

"Holy fuck, that spider in the background is huge! And Phoenix just casually examines the coat, giving zero fucks that _a spider the size of his head_ is over there! Goddammit, these backgrounds." *ding

"Also, spider imagery is used two cases before becoming thematically significant." *ding

"Does Datz testing Phoenix _really_ warrant four Psyche-Locks? Really?" *ding

"Bad guys are actually good cliche." *ding

"Phoenix is given the key to a secret rebel hideout, so naturally, his first instinct is to lead the nation's princess to it and expose its existence to the police. Phoenix is a dick to the Defiant Dragons." *ding

("Now, to search every nook and cranny") "Phoenix steals Edgeworth's lines." *ding

"If Dhurke claims violence isn't an aim in his revolution, why are there guns hidden in the rebel base? Does he have an explanation for that?" *ding

"How did Ema know to come up here? Neither Phoenix nor Rayfa called. Without further evidence, I'm guessing it was Nayna." *ding

"Recapping shit we already know." *ding

(Back in court) "If Rayfa didn't have the correct name for the Seance, why are there still waves and bubbles and glowing? Shouldn't nothing happen at all, if no vision was going to occur? Why does the pool tease us?" *ding

("Ah! No eating in the sacred Hall of Justice!") "Really? _This_ courtroom has rules on what can be taken in and out, but not the courtroom in America? How many times were these people bombed before that happened?" *ding

"Why does Ema put her Luminol glasses on to check her phone? Did she code her phone to only be read in red?" *ding

"Reel Neh'mu. I already sinned pun names in the first case, but this one gets a sin of it's own. It's a name pun about a name, goddammit." *ding

"If The Plumed Punished theme song really did start playing around a bunch of praying people, why would no one look up and notice, or even remember this happening? Were they really that into it? Were people asleep? No one is capable of explaining this, which renders the argument bullshit." *ding

"Phoenix explains that keeping a body cold will make the death seem more recent. While correct, Ema made it clear in the investigation the method used to estimate time of death was body temperature. If they really made the body colder, wouldn't the time of death appear to be earlier thanks to this test? And why would no one near Zeh'lot's body realize he was freakishly cold? Living humans release heat, you know!" *ding

"Phoenix claims the victim shouldn't have seen the ground because it iced that day, but couldn't he have just cleared the ice away before he prayed? While correct, his evidence proves nothing." *ding

"Nahyuta wants to give Ema a private sermon of joy for eight hours? That beats _my_ fanfiction." *no sin

"I just realized: both these murders could have been avoided... if an artist made their statue's wings less pointy. That's two fucking sins for poor architectural planning." *two sins

"Why the flying fuck would the Inmee's move Zeh'lot's body to a public area? Is there _any_ reason they couldn't have just prayed and then buried it at the Inner Sanctum? No one but them comes up there. Or, if they _wanted_ his body to be found (for some reason), why not simply throw it off the mountain? That way, they can claim he accidentally fell off at the Plaza of Devotion. I realize they wanted to make a political statement, but they had no reason to frame Maya, and as such, we Could Have Avoided This Plot. Very easily. Inmees, you fail as culprits." *ten sins

"Also, for the same reasons as above, I can safely say the culprits foil their own plot... by carrying it out in the first place." *ding

(Nahyuta compares Phoenix to a zombie) "Phoenix the zombie did not make it into the final version of the game." *ding

"Nahyuta admonishes Phoenix for pinning a crime on a dead man, but in the finale, that's his job. Don't you love foreshadowing?" *ding

"Woah. Maya's channeling has gotten waaay more badass since Trials and Tribulations." *removes three sins, on account of waiting three games for it

"Tahrust Inmee just found out he was possessing a young acolyte, so what does he do? Well, takes her top off of course! If there is any form of etiquette for how a spirit is to behave in a medium's body, I can confirm this guy is not following it." *ding

"Also... those tattoos are cool looking, but they raise a lot more questions than answers. Do they belong to Maya, or Tahrust? If the former... why? When? Who did she ask to put Khura'inese symbols all over her torso while she was shirtless? And why wasn't I the lucky guy?" *ding

(When putting her legs up) "Um... excuse me, sir. Your medium's underwear is showing." *ding

"How does Abbot Inmee make the magatama glow? Is it because he's a spirit, or because he himself has spiritual power?" *ding

"If His Magistry and Abbot Inmee are friends, isn't that a... wait. If the finale is any indication, this country gives no fucks about conflict of interest. Which is a sin on its own." *ding

"The head bobbing animation." *ding

"Phoenix has two clergymen involved in the trial, and still thinks it's a good idea to question Khura'inist prayer. I have to say he had it coming." *ding

(When Tahrust gets angry) "Kah." *ding

"Nahyuta wants to get Phoenix pregnant? That beats my fanfiction." *ding

"If Maya really channeled the historic Lady Kee'ra... why would _she_ kill the rebels? What's her motive in all this? She's been out of the loop on Khura'in's affairs for centuries, goddammit. And before you say it's because she's a goddess... if she really knew the truth, why would she be on Ga'ran's side? She would know how Ga'ran set fire to her sister's house and framed her brother in law to be queen _and_ how she has no spiritual power. If she were really interested in protecting Khura'in, she would kill that lady, not the rebels." *ding

"Also, if Maya were channeling one of their goddesses, wouldn't that exonerate her? She's doing what they believe their deity wants. Their god's work." *ding

"In the end, the move that saves Maya Fey's life... is the direct plagiarizing of The Steel Samurai in creating The Plumed Punisher. If those people had been original, she would have been fucked." *ding

(Upon realizing Tahrust took his own life) "I would once again like to point out they had no reason to frame Maya, they literally could have just left a note on Tahrust's dead body explaining what happened and the political statement would have been made. If not for Phoenix, all Tahrust is doing is leaving his pregnant widow behind with the traumatizing notion she killed a man and that her husband felt forced to kill himself for her and the baby to live. Now try raising a _child_ with that mindset." *ding

"I think Beh'leeb is the only culprit to ever confess without trying to lie her way out of it via testimony. Not going to lie, it's really refreshing." *removes a sin

(Beh'leeb and Tahrust's parting cutscene) "Awwww... Dammit! I'm not heartless." *removes a sin

(The rebels run through) "Did... did they just bomb the courthouse? Dammit! Courthouse bombing was such a big deal in America, and these rebels just made it look like nothing. The next time it happens, it's gonna be a series cliche. It did not need to become a series cliche." *ding

"Maya doesn't end the case by making Phoenix buy her food. I guess she forgot about that cliche." *ding

 **Total Sin Tally: 129**

 **Sentence: Royal Penitentiary No. 4 (guard duty)**

* * *

 **A/N's: Whoo hoo! Another one down! Gotta say, these take a long time. But I really enjoy them, and in case you couldn't tell, I loved Datz in this episode. He's one of the my favorite new characters.**

 **Well, it's late, and I wanna post this before I go to bed. Next up: the short but sin-ridden Turnabout Storyteller. Just thinking about its sins gives me a headache...**


	4. Everything Wrong With: Episode Four

Everything Wrong With: Ace Attorney: Spirit of Justice

Episode Four: Turnabout Storyteller

 **Quick Note: When playing through this case again... I'm not taking any sins for this, as the conversations are optional, but... whenever you're given options, pick the wrong ones. Most are hilarious.**

"Suspense music set to a guy counting in front of a TV screen. In other words, the beginning of a horror movie. Next thing you know, he's gonna jump up and kill that same number of- the fuck, he's dead!" *ding

(In court) "Wait, in court? No investigation? Did you people not read my Dual Destinies review?! No matter how much you enjoy paralleling with Trials and Tribulations, these cases have no reason to cut out the investigation. Well, beyond making Athena look bad, I mean. At least she isn't accused of murder this time?" *ding

("He's late, he's late, for a very important date!") "Alice in Wonderland reference. Between this and Episode Two, I'd say someone's a fan." *ding

"Athena feels the need to introduce herself after being introduced by Apollo in the second case." *ding

"Simon Blackquill." *removes a sin

"Simon acts like Athena has no chance on her own and demands she gets Apollo or Phoenix to help her after encouraging her to do things herself in the last game. What caused such a change in character?" *ding

"Bucky is drunk for his own murder trial." *ding

"Bucky has known Athena for five seconds, and already ships her with Simon Blackquill. He must have seen the fanart." *ding

"Wait... Whet Noodle? Are you telling me... Well. Unexpected return of Yanni Yogi's bloodline is unexpected. Though it does explain the witness antics." *ding

"Rakugo in Los Angeles. I have developer confirmation this entire case was created as a big middle finger to the localizers, who did nothing to deserve such treatment." *ding

"Also, Blackquill gives zero fucks about the murder, he just wants his favorite restaurant to stay in business so he can eat soba the way Gumshoe consumes ramen. Relatable, but still sin-worthy." *ding

"Sending a lawyer in with no information about the case cliche. This has not and will never stop being one of the most frustrating cliches of the series. It literally only exists so the developers don't have to include an investigation sequence. And to make the lawyer look like an idiot." *ding

(Trial begins) "Let's just talk about Nahyuta being here for a second. The last case finished on the evening of May 12th in Khura'in. This case begins on the morning of May 13th in the US. If Khura'in really is Tibet or even a country in that region, the area is sixteen hours ahead of California, and a direct flight from there to here is (approximately) seventeen hours. So, even if he left that night, he would still arrive in the US fairly late the evening before the trial (which is probably when he got assigned the case) and have no hand in the investigation or the arrest of Bucky Whet. Meaning neither the prosecution nor the defense have any idea what the fuck they're doing in this trial." *ding

"Nahyuta claims he wants to repay his 'debt' to Phoenix... by sending his subordinate down to hell? I don't think he knows how debts work." *ding

"Athena is even more of a kid here than she was a year ago. I get the events of last year were more serious for her, but this just feels like character regression. And she isn't the only one this happens to." *ding

(Nahyuta criticizes Athena for being unprepared) "I think the better question is, how the fuck are you prepared? You showed up in this _country_ last night, goddammit!" *ding

"First a bell pepper, now an egg yolk. Does this guy not eat? When everything reminds you of food, it usually means you're hungry, Nahyuta. And you're not you when you're hungry." *ding

"Blackquill is upset over being replaced as main prosecutor and resorts to... rakugo trivia in attempt to test his replacement? Of all the things he could do to him? It's like he forgot he was a badass of something." *ding

"Case about two disciples fighting over succession and a dead master gives me unwanted flashbacks to AJ:AA, Episode Four. And makes me very concerned for the state of Athena's badge." *ding

(Suffocating someone in three minutes) "Game goes on to make this sound like bullshit, but I looked it up: Athena claim checks out. As for why she knows how to suffocate someone off the top of her head, I have no idea." *ding

"And once again, Athena continues her streak of blindly accusing virtually everyone of a crime until she happens to reach the true culprit. If she had the case that inspired this one, or even Apollo's role in the next case, she'd be fucked." *ding

"Geiru Toneido." *ding

"Athena rags on Geiru's balloon artistry, but both the hat and cake look awesome. I wish I could do that in three seconds... oh um, excuse me miss, a few balloons seem to have fallen down your dress. May wanna fish those out. I can't imagine keeping them so covered is comfortable, and Your Honor definitely agrees with me." *ding

"I realize it's important to the plot later, but why does no one think it's weird Geiru feeds her small dog such a large amount of 'dumplings'? Depending on what's in them, that can be really bad for dogs." *ding

(Door to the yard contradiction) "If the door opened the way it did in the diagram, Geiru would have to close the door, walk to the other side of the yard, then open it again just to get inside. For the second time this game, the defense's case is saved due to poor architectural planning." *ding

(Nahyuta asks the gallery for their opinion and questions Athena's resolve) "Reusing the tricks of past villains cliche. While not _entirely_ wrong in his argument, this move is ultimately what got Blackquill to become Athena's co-counsel, only hurting his case in the long run. Nahyuta, if you want things to go well for you, don't take tips from the Phantom." *ding

"Dying message from the victim cliche. This one isn't written in blood, but what is it with killers using these things?" *ding

"Simon Blackquill on the defense bench. In other words, the only reason this case exists." *removes a sin

"Also, if the witness joins the defense bench, doesn't that hurt the credibility of their testimony? Just saying, he clearly has an agenda and is making no move to hide it. Why would someone who just met him (like the prosecution) trust anything he says in regards to this case?" *sin given back

"The panda joke." *removes the sin once more

"Why is Uendo allowed to sit down while testifying?" *ding

(Stiff cards near stiff) "Athena sucks at catching onto puns." *ding

"How does the fan also work as a pipe for Kisegawa? Did she buy them online from the same website Inga got his cigar stamps?" *ding

(Rearranging the cards) "Yes, because this is the Harry Potter universe (or Turnabout for Tomorrow) and we can rearrange a picture by telling the contents where to go. Am I expecting too much of a filler case from a game with Divination Séances, magic bracelets, and one day trials? Why yes, yes I am." *ding

(Owen 4th) "Geiru wanted to frame Uendo for the murder, so... she outs one of his personalities that only she and the victim knew about? Man her frame game's weak. If it hadn't been for the surprise five year old's quick thinking, this case would have ended a lot sooner than it did." *ding

"Nahyuta takes another leaf from Franziska's book and urges a witness to plea the fifth. This works about as well here as it did in Justice For All. I realize the chilche box for this series is hughe, but find a cliche that works next time, will you?" *ding

(Blackquill invokes the gallery, much like Nahyuta) "Payback." *no sin

("Why will you not listen to the guidance of this humble servant or the Holy Mother?!") "Because you're cranky, jet-lagged, and just called him an impetuous fool. Need I say more?" *ding

"The cushion game." *ding

"No way is that TV's cord long enough for the TV to play from near the door." *ding

"Uendo is revealed to have separate personalities, some of which witnessed different things and some of which aren't aware of each other. One of them's a five year old, goddammit. If these courts can declare Yanni Yogi innocent due to legal insanity, they can declare Uendo unfit to testify for the same reason. Between this, Bucky's drunkenness, and Blackquill's jump to the defense's side, the only apparently reliable witness is Geiru... the culprit. Compounded with the fact neither the defense nor the prosecution were properly prepared for the trial, this shitshow should have been declared a mistrial, even by AA standards. But it isn't, because... reasons." *five sins

("If words will not sway you, perhaps pain will.") "...This line is chilling. Not the best case to have right before a redemption arc, huh?" *ding

(Performing Tokisoba) "This goes on for some time." *ding

"Game expects me to believe Bucky, while presumably sober, spent ten minutes in the room with a dead body and failed to realize he was dead, implicating himself far more than Owen's card shuffling ever did. You've heard of culprit foiling their own plot, now meet defendant causing their own arrest. Why am I defending this guy again?" *ding

"Blackquill threatens someone with a perjury charge, when everyone knows it doesn't really exist in this universe. Well, unless you're Gina Lestrade." *ding

("Blackquill...I'm sure glad he's on my side today.") "Speaking of... is there any reason Blackquill _isn't_ the prosecutor of this case? His testimony can easily be given to Geiru or an additional character, the case itself does no favors for Nahyuta, and let's face it: Blackquill's the main attraction of this thing from the get go. Now, you could say Nahyuta's the main rival, so he should have the case, but in the original release of the first game, Justice for All, and AAI, the main rival was only given two cases in such a role. The latter even had five cases, like this one. And if it was _really_ such a problem, why not split up Turnabout Revolution, making the civil case episode four, and save this case for a DLC? It has about as much relation to the main plot as the wedding story does, and I guarantee Athena and Blackquill have enough fans to make this venture profitable. But hey. The developers said no. For some reason." *ding

(Athena wants to get Uendo drunk) "One drunk witness isn't enough, Your Honor! This trial isn't _nearly_ idiotic enough yet. No, I demand a second drunk person. Or... three more? Four more? How are we counting this?" *ding

"Also, can you imagine being Uendo in college? 'Hey wanna get drunk?' 'Can't.' 'Why not?' 'I turn into a five year old boy at the slightest presence of alcohol in my syste'- holy fuck I just typed that." *ding

"Lecturing an underage person about alcohol. Oh wait, she studied in Europe... yeah, she should know these things." *ding

"Also, after fifteen years of the game denying the existence of alcohol, they finally come clean. What, was alcohol taken off the list of 'things that get you an M-rating' between Apollo Justice and this game?" *ding

"Taka still exists, but doesn't attack anyone in this game. Not even Athena when she does something stupid." *ding

(Forcing Uendo to ingest alcohol) "That's not legal." *ding

"Uendo should see a doctor about his alcohol tolerance. I feel like there's a condition associated with this." *ding

"Also, forcing a five year old (or rather, the personality of one) to give testimony in a court of law. That is _not_ valid testimony, goddammit! This case is making me genuinely angry. What, did the developers just print out a list of everything that disqualifies a witness from giving testimony and say 'you know what? Fuck all of this.'? You really expect me to believe you reached the truth with all your shady leaps in logic and altered states of mind and separate agendas? I know the case that inspired this one lost the defense their badge, and I'm starting to have serious questions about why this one didn't. I love Athena, but she, Blackquill, and Nahyuta (and arguably His Honor) _all_ deserve a penalty for how this case was handled. Even by AA standards. Edgeworth, Courtney, I'm looking at _you_." *ten more sins

(Blackquill grabbing Athena by the collar) "I am not Blackquill right now." *ding

(Finding the murder weapon) "Athena plays I Spy in court." *ding

"Here's a question for the ages: if the victim really nicked the killer with a knife, why didn't the police notice the blood on the knife and identify Geiru by DNA? If the knife was clean, who cleaned it? Geiru wouldn't have had time, seeing as she was allergic to the soba she cooked (that was already cut, by the way) and enraged. Owen passed out right after the murder, so no way it was him. Uendo, Patches, and Kisegawa didn't confess to it even though they did to everything else, and there's no guarantee they even noticed it. Bucky can't even- I'm overthinking this when I could just as easily sin." *ding

"Also, even if somebody did clean it, Luminol would still pick up the stains, goddammit. Are you telling me nobody- what is it with American cases and their illogical lack of blood this game?! Goddammit this case needs an Ema." *ding

("You've wasted enough of our time, defense. Let it go, and move on.") "You assho... eh, you're right. Athena, please take the sad monk's advice. I really wanna move on to Turnabout Revolution." *ding

"How nice is Bucky? He even gives the prosecutor trying to convict him of murder a soba meal. For free! Though, to be fair, I'm not entirely sure he understands what's going on... Do I sin it or not?" *in the end, no sin

"Let me reiterate: Athena figures out that Geiru is the real culprit because... the five year old personality of a witness who definitely meets the game's definition of legal insanity and only appears when the witness is drunk remembered Geiru's perfume during the death of his grandfather figure, who he adored. Athena of _all people_ should know the unreliability of a person's memory, especially when experiencing trauma or suffering from a mental illness... or all of the above, plus drunk." *ding

"Although... I _can_ think of another case where a child with a unique condition's memories would have changed the outcome of a trial. It makes sense she'd want to not ignore the child this time around. Dammit! Even the bad case in this game knows how to write cool parallels!" *still sinned above, but not here

"Also, judge only calls Geiru back to the stand because he likes her fake tits. You're married with grandchildren, Your Honor! And if you're looking for tits, simply wander one case further. I can guarantee you peeks at two women, both with the real deal." *ding

(Athena decides indicting Geiru is the only option) "Unless this case is a suicide, like the one that inspired it. I realize Athena likes her mentor, but does she have to copy _all_ his mistakes?" *ding

"Geiru can put her glove on and off like magic. I wish I was that fast at changing my clothes." *ding

"Taifu Toneido knew Geiru would come into his dressing room from time to time, but still often made soba in there like an asshole. Between this and everything else, is it any wonder she wanted to off this guy? He could have killed her! If she wasn't an idiot, and everyone in this court wasn't a total dick to the idea of a proper trial, she would've gotten away with it. And honestly, I kinda get the feeling she should have. She appeals, she wins. She sues Athena, she wins. End of story." *ding

"When did Geiru make another sword? She popped the first one, remem-oh, I already don't care." *ding

(Nahyuta promises to remember Athena's name) "This is the closest most prosecutors ever gets to an apology, but hey: Athena takes it." *only a half-sin

(In the lobby) "This case was only two hours long?! Since when do this game's characters get to suffer less than I do?" *ding

(Upon the reveal Taifu wanted Geiru to pursue her own path) "Moral of the story: don't be a cryptic asshole to your employees, lest they want to murder you. Between this guy, Magnifi Gramarye, and Phoenix in AJ:AA, why is this such a hard lesson to learn?" *ding

"Also, guy stole Bucky's soba shop deed because blah blah capable owner blah blah reasons." *ding

(Sending Udon to Geiru) "While sweet, food isn't allowed in the Detention Center. Did Yamakazi not play AAI2? Oh wait: he directed it... Well this is awkward." *ding

("Seven ate nine") "Bad jokes." *ding

"Also, ending narration." *ding

 **Total Sin Tally: 76.5**

 **Sentence: Meeting with the Bar Association (and the PIC)**

* * *

 **A/N's: Yeah, I think my opinion of the case might have seeped in a bit too much... don't get me wrong, I thought the case was really funny, and I love that Simon Blackquill got to be in this game, but... even for AA, this went too far. They can't acknowledge the existence of legal insanity from the get go (first game) and then pull a stunt like this. And after so many games of either ignoring the presence of alcohol or substituting it for comedic effect, it rubbed me the wrong way that they decided it's been here all along. And then there's the fact that the only party who cared at all about proper procedure (Nahyuta) acted like even more of an asshole here than I think the writers intended, it doesn't help this case in the slightest.**

 **Just my two cents. But hey, if you enjoyed this case, more power to you! I may have to go back through after I finish reviewing the game and clean up some. I was almost as angry here as the real CS guy was at Pete's Dragon (if you haven't seen that video, go watch it ASAP. Even if you haven't seen the movie, it is hilarious.**


	5. Everything Wrong With: Episode Five pt 1

Everything Wrong With: Ace Attorney: Spirit of Justice

Episode Five: Turnabout Revolution

Part One

"After unnecessarily splitting apart two incredibly interrelated cases that take place in the same location last game, this one refuses to split apart two somewhat related cases that take place in different countries, making replays of a single case within tiresome. And I still have no idea what the criteria for a single episode is, fifteen years after the first game." *ding

(The opening cutscene) "The Plumed Punisher show is so terrible, I can think of ten sins for it in the thirty-ish seconds it's on screen. It's not even comedy-terrible, it's just... whoa. When did Sasha Buckler score the lead role in this thing?" *ding

"Dhurke does everyone a favor and takes this show off the air. Unfortunately, the video he replaces it with doesn't know how lighting works. Does Khura'in not have anyone decent who films by trade? Not even a Retinz?" *ding

("We have obtained the Founder's Orb!") "Dhurke's bluff game is worse than any of Phoenix Wright's. He couldn't have waited until _after_ the first part of this case to record the message?" *ding

(the jump cut to zoom in) "They know how to do this with a camera, but _not_ how to set Dhurke up in decent lighting. When the rest of Khura'in thinks he's a villain, his Dragons will be partially to blame. Only villains use the monologuing in darkness trick, goddammit." *ding

(starting gameplay) "TV news continues to only report on what is pertinent to the game's characters at any given time." *ding

(Dhurke shows up) "How did he enter the WAA without anyone noticing him? He was _just_ on TV, and is in no way inconspicuous on in disguise for this entire case. Even if Maya waited until she was outside their door to change and channel him, I would still call bullshit on no one trying to arrest this dude. He's marked as a foreign terrorist, for Christ's sake!" *ding

"Also, Dhurke Sahdmadhi." *removes three sins

"Trucy gives a voice to every player ever during the 'Dhurke was Apollo's foster dad' scene." *ding

"Dhurke ships Trucy and Apollo after knowing her for five seconds. Like many of the people who played AJ, I'm sure he's going to _love_ the eventual reveal that they're related. Whenever the game gets to it. Seriously. _Any_ time now." *ding

"Trucy calls Dhurke dad after knowing him for five seconds, even though he has no intentions of adopting her. I realize they wanted him to parallel with AJ Phoenix Wright, but this goes too far." *ding

"Why would Archie Buff want to give the orb to Datz, a member of a supposed terrorist organization? Even if he knew their story, in what way is giving them leverage to ransom the queen with "the right thing" in the eyes of a random American? Wouldn't he benefit more from sticking to his original deal? Am I asking for logic from a man who hides a precious treasure in a cave that could flood and carry the orb out into the Pacific Ocean rather than a safe or, I don't know, something landlocked? Why yes, yes I am." *ding

"How did Datz even fly here? We later learn he used a Khura'inese passport, but shouldn't his passport be revoked (and he be on a no-fly list) for being an escaped prisoner and all? This doesn't make sense now, and it definitely doesn't make sense later, when he gets arrested." *ding

"We interrupt your regularly scheduled murder mystery to bring you Apollo Justice: Ace Treasure Hunter." *ding

(The sushi) "Eat your hamburgers, Apollo. It finally made it into an actual game, and I am automatically obligated to remove one sin." *removes a sin

"Dhurke's pictures of Nahyuta and Apollo running around in the fields naked were not included in the final version of the game. I'm glad Capcom doesn't want me on a government watchlist, but it sure sounds like Dhurke's on one." *so still a sin

(Ema shows up) "Ema can't remember who Dhurke is, which is sinworthy on its own, but how does she not remember Datz, whose name is brought up several times? They testified on different days, sure, but are you telling me she has no recollection of the escaped prisoner that turned her only Khura'inese case upside down a few weeks prior, and isn't the slightest bit curious as to how the fuck he ended up in the US? The fuck?" *ding

"Apollo is in any way surprised a case he takes on involves a death(/murder.)" *ding

"One of Aura's robots made its way into Dr. Buff's study. As did the oft breaking urn, the scroll, and statue of Ami Fey. Not sure why any of the involved parties would give their stuff to this guy, but cool reference, I guess." *ding

"So Ema has Datz's prints on hand from Case Three and _saw_ him run off, but still doesn't remember who he is? ...Just see my earlier sin on this one." *ding

"Why the fuck would Datz carry a phone, something that is easily tracked? Even if he's been using burners, the contents can still be picked up on, right? He also just got out of prison a few weeks ago, so when did he get it, anyway? For career rebels, these people don't know how to fugitive very well, do they?" *ding

"Paul Atishon." *ding

"Also, is he supposed to be making fun of Hillary Clinton, with the emails, or Kim Jong Un, with the design and grandfather? I can never be sure on this one." *ding

"Is his head bobbing to his own theme song?" *ding

"Why the fuck does Inga have influence over local politics in California? Or, he doesn't, and Atishon is just an idiot who thinks he does?" *ding

"Also, why would Inga choose _this_ asshole to handle the stolen orb? And why doesn't Atishon think it's weird a foreign royal consort/justice minister claims he can help him win an American election? Doesn't he know foreign governments aren't allowed a hand in- ohhh. For a game that came out before the 2016 election, it sure hits home surprisingly well." *ding

(Dhurke says he'd be sent back to Khura'in for execution of he was arrested in the US) "And yet, Datz isn't facing that very problem because... reasons. Even if his last capture was deemed unlawful, I doubt Gar'an or Inga care. He's been arrested and has escaped for other things, right? If repatriation is that inconvenient to the plot, don't include a scene where Datz gets arrested, goddammit!" *ding

"Apollo defending Datz in a criminal case was not included in the final version of the game. Not even in the credits." *ding

"In a truth contest between foreign revolutionaries and an American politician, the former wins out. Why does that not surprise me?" *ding

(The Orb Transfer Agreement) "Game goes on to make it sound like it matters who hurt Dr. Buff, but the contract itself only states that he mustn't come to any harm if the orb is to be delivered, with no clause for whether it was a specific party who harmed him. So legally, the orb should be given to no one. Not only is this error in contract law stupid, it could have been easily avoided with a different agreement, making this screw up all the worse." *three sins

(the drone) "You know Ace Attorney is insane when an armed helicopter drone with a military fetish starts interrogating you and you actually have to question if that's the craziest thing you've seen in this series so far." *ding

"Trucy leaves the investigation after just becoming relevant so a new character can take up the plot, a la Dual Destinies." *ding

"Simple disobedience warrants an immediate firing squad?! What war movie is Armie watching? Does her father not regulate her Netflix?" *ding

"Orphaned child cliche. Also, the fact I can even type that sentence warrants an extra sin." *so two sins

"Recapping shit we already know." *ding

"Pearl's painting skills." *ding

"Also, Pearl makes a pointless cameo for the second game in a row. This time, I sin it." *ding

"Edgeworth also has a fairly pointless role in this case, serving only to resolve a minor flight complication. Just add Larry and we will approach AAI levels of pointless cameos." *ding

(Perceiving Pearl) "Writers really wanted this to be a Psych Lock segment, but forgot to give Apollo a magatama. So they switched up the background and hoped no one would notice." *ding

(Atishon pushes Apollo and Dhurke down the cave) "So, was this guy just waiting out at some dark spot in the cave for these two to come by? How did he know they'd come here today, or that they wouldn't bring a flashlight or a larger group? Also, he needs someone to get the Orb out of the cave so he can deliver it to Inga, so... What would he do if his trap was successful, and these two plus the Orb washed out to sea and died? All I can say is culprit tries really hard to foil their own plot." *ding

"Also, to save on animation, most the inside the cave sequence occurs on complete black screen." *ding

"Scene of Dhurke milking a yak was not included in the final version of the game." *ding

"Klavier gets a one second cameo." *ding

"Seeing Dhurke and Apollo fall everywhere really makes me wonder how Dr. Buff got down here in the first place. Pearl said raincoat and head lamp, not climbing rope or swimming gear." *ding

("The water is salty") "Well, I'd be salty too if I was stuck down here in a cave system that takes hours to- oh, you mean it's from the ocean." *ding

"We interrupt your irregularly scheduled treasure hunt to bring you... Puzzles. And no. This isn't the Layton crossover." *ding

"How do we know Dr. Buff didn't just plant a fake in the flooding cave to discourage people after the Orb? Are we just gonna assume he wasn't smart enough and actually wanted to risk the thing being carried out to sea? Because that's some bullshit right there." *ding

"Apollo complains to Dhurke about Nahyuta doing his job as a prosecutor in this universe. I agree the names are insulting, but were any of them really much worse than Blackquill's or even Franziska's? They seem to be making an awfully big deal out of the series standard, here." *ding

"Dhurke forgets dragons are mythical creatures in an otherwise inspiring speech about willpower. And yes, I am a nitpicky asshole." *ding

"Also, Dhurke makes entirely too many jokes about his life for a surprise dead guy. Is this supposed to be foreshadowing, or irony?" *either way, it's a sin

(Dhurke goes searching for an underwater passage to the ocean) "While correct that it has to exist, Dhurke has no idea if the passage is always large enough to fit a person of his size or how long he has until he reaches it. In other words, this guy is too damn lucky to have died already." *ding

"Game expects me to believe a thousand year old puzzle box built by people in the mountains was designed to withstand ocean currents at high tide on another continent. At which point I continue to call bullshit. Unless this is the first high tide to come through since Dr. Buff put it here, that treasure box should be gone." *ding

"The drowning scene goes on too long to actually be Apollo drowning. Or at least, for him to be drowning and still live. So... Yeah. They survive this." *ding

"Datz laughs at Apollo for nearly dying." *ding

(How Dhurke saved Apollo) "Random fisherman regularly carry around string strong enough to pull two men through a cave system at no risk of breaking or getting snagged. Who knew?" *ding

"Man admits to committing attempted murder in public in front of several witnesses, one of which is a detective. Naturally, these actions lead to no consequences whatsoever." *ding

(Phoenix shows up) "Damn. They should have called this part of the case Turnabout Civil War. And we now find out Phoenix didn't actually become a prosecutor over the course of this game. The trailer lied to me!" *ding

"Also, Phoenix is about to face his second lost case in the series. Third, if you count the case where he lost his badge. Basically, he's fucked in any game that has "Justice" in the title." *ding

(To court) "If Trucy isn't going to take sides, why is she hanging out in Apollo's defendant lobby? Shouldn't she already be in the courtroom, or off telling her father the same thing?" *ding

("Another locked from mystery? A suspect with a flimsy alibi? Ooh, or a dying message?") "Athena is entirely too aware or AA clichés to be a sidelined lawyer in this series." *ding

"Also, Apollo opts to be mysterious instead of explaining the situation to Athena. This is the second time this game she enters the courtroom with no information about a case. Is that about to become a cliche for her character?" *ding

"How did Atishon get his carriage into the courtroom? The door behind him isn't nearly large enough." *ding

("I'm not a detective, I'm a forensic scientist. Do try to remember that.") "Ema's plea to the writers fell on deaf ears, but it also made it into the final version of the script. This confuses me more than it should." *ding

"Also, if Ema's here, where is Nahyuta? Is he still in the US? If he was, I would've thought he'd be all over finding out there are Khura'inese rebels in LA. You know, the very thing he showed up in America for?" *ding

"Dr. Buff stole those trilogy reference- I mean, relics? Damn. I guess my earlier sin is moot. But since I'm a dick, sin returned for the Feys never noticing he'd taken their stuff, when it was in an open room with lots of windows and not hidden in any way." *sin removed and then given back

"If the police had Dr. Buff under constant survellience, how did they not know who gave him the Orb, or what the details of the agreement were, or that he had relics on display _in his study_? How constant was their surveillance? Did they hire Meekins for this job?" *ding

"Dr. Buff somehow stole an entire wall from Khura'in." *ding

"At Phoenix's prodding, Atishon claims he filed a false police report while in court. Naturally, these actions lead to no consequences whatsoever." *ding

(The Illustrious History of the Atishon Clan) "This testimony." *ding

"Man trying to get democratically elected compares himself to a king far too often to have any real shot in American politics." *ding

"The Founder Orb and Crystal of Ami Fey were made centuries apart from each other, right? Why can't somebody just analyze the item's age to settle this dispute? Even if they're off, I doubt they'd miss the real date by _centuries._ Why does no one try this?" *ding

"Non murder case becomes a murder case cliche." *ding

"Why would an archaeology doctor put his archaeology books on the top shelf? Wouldn't he need those the most often? Why not place them at eye level, where you don't have to use a ladder every time you need one? Am I asking for logic from a game that can't even figure out basic contract law or witness credibility? Why yes, yes I am." *ding

"Ema knew the wound couldn't have come from falling to the floor, but she didn't feel the need to report it before the trial started tomorrow and have the police declare it a murder before anyone got to court, even though that's her job. I guess she had a deal with Phoenix to maximize the dramaticism?" *ding

"Objection 2004- I mean, 2016 being played against you." *ding

"The one time Phoenix is semi-prepared for a trial, it's when we are facing off against him. Because he can't be playable and competent at the same time, it seems." *ding

"Phoenix gets revenge for Datz accusing and committing perjury against Maya by... Accusing him of murder and getting somebody to perjure themselves against him. And people say his AJ side went away in DD." *ding

(Atishon fretting about the "gruesome murder" in his village) "This guy would have been alive for Reunion and Turnabout, and should definitely know that murder was way more gruesome than this one. Not to mention the killing at Hazukara, which involved several Kurain village members. I get it's been years, but why does the thought surprise him anymore?" *ding

("What did I ever do to deserve this?") "Apollo gets meta about his role in this series." *ding

"Trucy calls Apollo leaving the agency before anyone else does. One point for the Magical Girl." *no sin

(Judge takes the testifying drone in stride) "After all the shit this series has put him through, His Honor is finally genre savvy enough to take stuff as it comes. Go His Honor!" *still no sin

"Armie calls Datz a capitalist pig and threatens to turn him into stroganoff after firing missiles at him. Naturally, these actions lead to no consequences whatsoever." *ding

("While I sympathize with you, witness, you will refrain from firing Gatling Guns in this court.") "Behold, the most Ace Attorney sentence ever written." *no sin, too busy laughing

"Armies drone malfunctions when she takes damage. It also sweats oil. I guess it was built in the same factory as De Killer's transceiver, then?" *ding

"Athena can pick up on the emotions of a digitally transmitted voice undergoing vocal modification with no problems or inaccuracies. Because... Bullshit." *ding

("This G. I. Jane always ready for a fight in the courtroom!") "Except for the last case and Turnabout Countdown, when she was woefully unprepared to take the job." *ding

(Sarge confiscates Widget and the gavel) "Suggestion about including a military tribunal will inspire a case with soldiers in a future game. Calling the theory now." *ding

(Bailiff trying to catch a drone) "This is not a cutscene." *ding

"Athena advises a sheltered, traumatized child to live a happy life in memory of her parents. And her development in this regard has officially come full circle. Go Yellow Girl!" *no sin

(Armie Buff's reveal) "This girl is adorable." *removes a sin

("Very well, Mr. Justice. I never thought I'd be saying this, but you may burn the evidence.") "..." * quietly removes another sin

"Why does Apollo just randomly have a lighter on hand?" *ding

"Also, Athena looks entirely too excited about setting evidence on fire to be a trustworthy lawyer in this series." *ding

(Phoenix screaming) "No." *ding

"Atishon vaguely threatens Phoenix in front of the courtroom, and no one finds this suspicious whatsoever." *ding

"Long pauses." *ding

"Is Apollo bent over when he talks to Armie, or is her wheelchair exceptionally tall? I can never sure on his one." *ding

(Athena comes back from visiting Phoenix) "Co-counsel acts mysterious for the sake of suspense cliche. I thought Mia had a copyright on that move, but I guess she's been dead long enough..." *ding

"Paul Atishon schedules meet and greets to people's houses at eleven pm." *ding

"3D layouts have returned, reminiscent of AJ:AA." *no sin

(Phoenix breaks down) "We interrupt your civil case special to bring you... Farewell, My Turnabout." *ding

"No, I'm not kidding. This is literally a play by play of Farewell, My Turnabout, minus Shelley De Killer and Franziska Von Karma. Of all the things to leave out, why forget the two best parts?" *ding

"Also, Maya is kidnapped cliche. Since this is the second (arguably third) time it's happened, and three times as annoying as it was in JFA, I give this cliche... nine sins." *nine sins awarded

"Also, Maya escapes while channeling someone else, a la T&T. Aside from the civil court segment, was there anything original about this case?" *ding

"Dhurke's Objection." *removes a sin

"Atishon makes the same mistake as Engarde in hiring Phoenix Wright as his lawyer. Why force someone to help you when plenty of lawyers in this universe would do it willingly? There are plenty of Kristoph Gavins and Robert Hammonds in the world. This didn't make sense in JFA and it sure doesn't make more sense now. But it has to happpen, because plot." *ding

"Atishon's breakdown, while awesome, relies on him being able to see what the TV programmers put to scroll above his head by looking up. And that's not possible." *ding

"No way the doctor would tell Armie she could walk without telling her father. None." *ding

(Phoenix says Maya's being held hostage by the mastermind) "Whoa... when Simon Keyes get out of prison?!" *ding

"Narration." *ding

* * *

 **A/N's: This will be continued in part 2. I'm not doing a total sin tally or a punishment, since this is only part of a case, but for anyone curious, this part of case five got 104 sins. But seeing as the next part of this case is much longer, expect Turnabout Revolution to have a fairly high sin count. I also may have a fifty sin bomb for a certain character, but I can't decide if it should be that high (or maybe even that low) a number.**

 **Also, I must apologize. I've had this case almost done for some time now, but a week ago, I started Camp NaNoWriMo and wasn't going to focus on fanfiction at all. But the story is hitting a bit of a roadblock, so I've been tweaking my outline and regrouping. Hopefully I can catch up on my word count this weekend. Hope you all enjoyed this review anyway. It might be until mid-May the next part comes out. Until then, don't forget to leave a review, and I'll see you on the far side!**


	6. Everything Wrong With: Episode Five pt 2

Everything Wrong With: Ace Attorney: Spirit of Justice

Episode Five: Turnabout Revolution

Part Two

 **Note: This review picks up right where the last chapter left off in the case. It is recommended you have read part one before part two. Also, part one added up to 104 sins, so that will be added to the final sin tally at the bottom of the page.**

 **Thanks for sticking with me thus far, everyone. This case is about to test my emotions all over again, so expect the sin counter to go wild.**

"This case is so long, I had to split its review in two because its essentially two episodes under the same banner. I know I've already sinned this once, but I'm sinning it again because there was _no good reason_ to keep Turnabout Storyteller in the main game if it meant this had to happen." *ding

(Dhurke insists Maya is safe) "Foreshadowing." *ding

"Inga has the US courtroom bugged, but... how did he know which courtroom _to_ bug when the player doesn't even know where they'll be until the day of the trial? Who planted the bug for him? Did they plant bugs all over the courthouse, or just in the courtrooms? And how did he not know Dhurke was there when he literally heard everything from the trial?!" *ding

"What is Inga's plan in calling Dhurke to Amara's Tomb? If he gets what he wants and Maya stops channeling Dhurke, he's exposed for Dhurke's murder _and_ the kidnapping of an American citizen. And if you say it isn't a problem for him because Dhurke's a wanted man and he's the justice minister, then you have to ask why Inga's been keeping the secret thus far, especially from the rebels he's trying to take out. I guess he knew this was supposed to be the finale to end all finales, and was told to suspend all reason for the sake of plot twists?" *ding

"Miles Edgeworth in a mostly pointless role." *only gets one sin off

"Also, Miles Edgeworth's theme song." *removes another sin (okay, I lied in the last sin. What can I say? It's The Great Revival, goddammit!)

"Chief Prosecutor volunteers to break US law by harboring a declared foreign terrorist on his private jet, and naturally, these actions bear no perceived consequences whatsoever. After agreeing to one stowaway, should he really be surprised he got another?" *ding

"Also, as Chief Prosecutor, how does he have the ability to do this? I'm not saying he'd never get a vacation day, but wouldn't he at least need to call them in ahead of time? This series has been around for sixteen years, and I am no closer to understanding the Prosecutor's Office bureaucracy than I was in 2001." *ding

"Athena says we're bound to need her help, but I gotta say. Her role in part two consisted entirely of cracking jokes and begging for a shower. Not that helpful." *ding

"Also, all these people take Edgeworth's private jet back to Khura'in, but they don't invite Ema. Why?" *ding

(In Khura'in) "Why did they go to temple after leaving the airport if they're in a hurry to the palace? Does the airport bus _only_ stop here? This never gets explained." *ding

"Also, when they left the US, it was the evening of May 17th. When they landed in Khura'in after what should be a fifteen-seventeen hour flight _and_ cross the International Date Line, it's the afternoon of the 18th. Time zones don't work like that." *ding

"Rayfa doesn't immediately react to Dhurke being in her general vicinity. She still believes The Plumed Punisher and thinks he might try to kidnap her, so why the calm face?" *ding

"Why were the guards given magatamas? And why do they have swords for _any_ reason? We see them with guns later! Their yelltalking style is taken directly from the crossover, not to mention that unlike those guys, these people have no individual personalities, and- basically, these characters are a ten ton sin bomb waiting to go off." *ten sins

"I know Ga'ran has the tomb surrounded so she can frame Dhurke for Inga's murder, but... if she really wanted to get rid of both men, why murder Inga at all? Just trap them in the tomb at the time Inga devised and arrest him for kidnapping, murder, abuse of power, and conspiracy to assassinate the queen. He's finished, and probably executed. She'd have the same level of difficulty replacing the people loyal to him. As for the rebellion, reveal Dhurke's death to the Dragons (and Americans), crush their spirit, and catch the rebels while they're disorganized. But hey: murder mysteries gotta murder mystery, I guess." *ding

"Also, Ga'ran isn't showing off her boobs or threatening our murder in this scene." *ding

"Guards freak out at a the sight of murdered people, but they guard Ga'ran for a living. Shouldn't they be used to it?" *ding

("S-Something terrible has happened! Dhurke...! Th-Th-The minister...! H-H-He's dead!") "Guard is unclear about who was found dead for the sake of suspense. I mean, he's right either way, but-" *ding

"To save on animation, Dhurke's fight scene with the guards was conducted on a blank screen, accompanied only by badass sound effects. In other words, this is not a cutscene." *ding

"Recapping shit we literally just found out." *ding

"Athena didn't even try to rush into the tomb with everyone else, and I think I can safely say that is the most out of character thing this game has her do." *ding

(with Dhurke in the Detention Center) "Blackout in a locked (well, surrounded) room 'before the murder' cliche combo. In case you weren't already aware, this case is insanely extra. About _everything_." *three sins

"Also, Dhurke claims he was covered in Inga's blood, but his clothes here are perfectly clean. When did he or Amara change clothes?" *ding

"Dhurke's only on trial for two charges? What about the counts of inciting treason and illegally obtained weapons and all sorts of things he's no doubt- oh fuck, this game needs to be winnable, doesn't it?" *ding

"I would just like to point out that this is the second time this _case_ arson has been used as a major plot event. If you open it up to whole series, it's actually the sixth time. So naturally, I give this cliche six sins." *six sins awarded

(Apollo points out the similaries between Dhurke and AJ Phoenix) "Apollo Justice would be awesome at CinemaSins." *ding

(Nahyuta shows up) "How incredible is Dhurke? He doesn't even care his son is prosecuting him, or that he's been working against him for years. He just politely asks why it happened, and offers him a chance to come back. What a guy! A crazy guy, but..." *no sin

(Ema in Khura'in again) "Last time she was here, she spent the episode agonizing about Maya, Phoenix, and a lack of technology. This case, she comes willingly with no problems at Nahyuta's request. And all I can say is... wow. He must give very nice sermons." *ding

"Also, Nahyuta called Ema to Khura'in before Inga's body was found in the tomb _or_ anyone outside the defendant lobby knew he was a kidnapper. Did he predict this case was going to happen ahead of time? Was she initially helping him with a different case? This never gets explained." *ding

(Ema complains about her skin and lack of sleep) "Ema looks hot as ever." *not really a sin

"Athena laughs at funerals." *ding

"Apollo and Athena crack jokes inside a tomb. I get the game needs to keep up their investigation camaderie, but I would have trouble doing that in a dark room with a mummy and tons of monk statues. Different strokes, y'all." *ding

("See? Every puzzle has an answer, Athena.") "Apollo makes this reference, despite never once meeting Professor Layton. This only strengthens my suspicion he plays Phoenix Wright games to prepare for trials. Must've packed the crossover for the plane ride." *ding

(Athena comments on "grape juice" being fermented) "Athena says what I've been saying all along. Where were she in AJ?" *ding

"Smartphones now exist in this universe, but the rich and powerful Inga still used a flip phone. Why?" *ding

"How does Ema know members of the secret police?" *ding

"After fifteen years, the games finally got tired of explaining ballistic markings. Do I remove a sin for finally reaching this point, or add one for the same reason?" *does nothing in the end

"Also, I haven't appreciated until now the detail put into the investigations for this game. Seriously. The tomb investigation is amazing, and is the first time I felt like we really saw an entire room in the investigation sequence." *removes a sin

"If you spray the visible blood with Luminol, it doesn't react. This bothers me more than it should." *ding

"Apollo has problems with Nahyuta prosecuting his father, but had no objections to Klavier helping him convict his brother. What changed over a two game period?" *ding

(Switching to Phoenix's POV) "Edgeworth as an assistant." *removes a sin

(Lah'kee shows up) "This dude." *ding

"Detective Gumshoe is referenced, but not actually seen in this game. Not even in the DLC case, in which Ema leaves for Khura'in and is inexplicably brought back." *ding

"We get a grand intro to the Audience Chamber despite having already seen it in the third case." *ding

(Sound effect of Rayfa hitting Phoenix) "Ka tonk." *ding

"Ga'ran claims Inga was going to use the secret police to assassinate her, but we later find out his method of choice was poison. You don't need a secret police force to slip someone poison, so which is it?" *ding

"Phoenix tells the lady who clearly hates Dhurke that Apollo is Dhurke's foster son. And I'm sure this won't cause any problems later." *ding

"Datz is a known rebel regularly on the run from the police, so naturally, he's hanging out in a public bazaar lighting firecrackers. Because that makes sense." *ding

"Also, Datz cries out of the sides of his head. Did he drop his Frankenstein screws somewhere?" *ding

"We leave the royal residence, then five minutes later, we go back. Why did we leave?" *ding

"Where does Rayfa's staff disappear to when she blushes? Nayna's not here." *ding

"Rayfa insists Inga wanted the Founder's Orb for her, and I gotta say, it's actually possible. Inga can't remember anyone's face, so what would be the point of giving him spiritual power? He wouldn't remember any of them long enough to channel anyone. But the game dismisses the possibility entirely, and that is a sin." *ding

"If I were Inga, I'd definitely keep tons of alcohol in my room. Just not in a place where no one can reach it, is all." *ding

(Phoenix says Nayna could almost be Rayfa's mother) "Foreshadowing." *ding

"L'Belle's beauty products still exist." *ding

"Also, how did Amara obtain a can when L'Belle never sold anything?" *ding

"Inga made this gold statue/safe for himself, but never became an artist or an engineer. I mean, it's not the statue of Phoenix and Layton in Labrynthia, but damn. I think he missed his calling." *ding

"Inga protects his coup plans with a four digit lock." *ding

(Edgeworth with Shah'do on his cravat) "This scene." *removes a sin

(trying to pull the dog off) "Haha. It's funny because he's choking." *gives the sin back

(Shah'do steals frilly things) "Nayna'a hat is not frilly." *ding

"Datz recruits nine year old boys to a revolution and randomly throws firecrackers in their faces for laughs, but is still considered a good guy by the end of the game. That should tell you something about the villains." *ding

(Ahlbi was able to get a picture of the channeling) "And absolutely no one guards the queen _or_ the neighboring king during the channeling or at least keeps their eye on the chamber door, because... bullshit." *ding

"Part of the palace wall is damaged, but no one but Ahlbi ever notices this. How? Why?!" *ding

"Game thinks full blown revolutions are capable of gaining steam this quickly, and that the tide can be turned by a single suicide. And it speaks to our society that I call bullshit." *ding

"More than one person refers to Athena as Spider Head, but... we see Ga'ran later. Isn't she a _little_ more deserving of the title?" *ding

(Back to Apollo and Athena) "Dhurke took his small children into the city full of guards for _any_ reason." *ding

"Also, how has no one at least _tried_ to buy up Dhurke's old office and use it for something else? Did another rebel purchase the property afterwards to keep it in use? Is it cursed? I need answers to solve this case, goddammit." *ding

" _Also_ also... how has it never occurred to anyone after _twenty three years_ to check Dhurke's old office for signs of habitation? If they set a trap in there now, the rebel cause is done for. And I thought American police could be stupid." *ding

(Apollo taking over Dhurke's office one day) "Obvious foreshadowing is obvious." *ding

"Datz claims he only threw a knife at Ga'ran's picture to get a fly, and if you watch the cutscene, it's true. But that doesn't change the fact her picture was mounted on top of a dart board long before that. In other words, bullshit." *ding

(Athena laughs at the thought of Apollo in a coat and eyepatch) "The last time Apollo was in a coat and eyepatch, he accused you of murder, so... Why the laugh now?" *ding

"A collection of documents about a royal assassination somehow boils down to five bullet points. For reference, imagine the Kennedy assassination being this simple. Can't? Me neither." *ding

"Apollo's father thought 'Jangly Justice' was a good stage name." *ding

(Beh'leeb with a bunch of unnamed people) "When did they show up?" *ding

"I don't doubt the fact that Dhurke carries around jailbreaking tools wherever he goes, but I do doubt the fact that both Maya and Amara knew to take them when they started their channeling, and that the police waited until Nahyuta's interrogation to remove them. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: the police are bad at their jobs." *ding

(Presenting the butterfly pendant) "Dhurke is a terrible liar." *ding

(Accusing Dhurke of dating someone new) "Also, this goes on for some time." *ding

"Dhurke completely skips over how he was able to break into the palace more than once, probably to hide the bullshit that would require." *ding

"Sickness and gunshot wounds are not the same, Dhurke. But we needed some foreshadowing for the plot twist, I guess, so-" *ding

"Spirit hides vital information from lawyer cliche(TM). I thought Mia had a copyright on that move, but I guess she's been dead long enough." *ding

(The protest cutscene) "Beh'leeb and Datz are badasses." *removes a sin

("They'll be arrested? Just for protesting?") "Did you not hear the bit about hair pulling and biting? I'm all for right to protest, but the chances of it being legal in this country (or of this one being non-violent) are slim to none. Why does this surprise Apollo?" *ding

(Apollo being strip searched) "This was not a cutscene." *ding

("Your mind has been poisoned by the Barbed One" "It was an honor and a pleasure, Your Eminence.") "Phoenix is awesome." *removes a sin

"Also, after being questioned about the location of the Founder's Orb, Apollo thinks it's a good idea to return to where the Founder's Orb was last hiding. He doesn't know how to hide things very well, does he?" *ding

"Edgeworth could have researched the assassination, or the rebels, or done anything to help Apollo's case. But he watches The Plumed Punisher instead... for comedy, I guess?" *ding

"Also, out of all the things to complain about with the show, Edgeworth chooses one of the least offensive parts. Did he even watch the acting?" *ding

"Game thinks of an arbitrary reason to keep Athena off the defense bench, but they put all three up there in Dual Destinies, so... what gives?" *ding

(Trial) "We got more riot footage... to drive home how unstable things are, I guess? They already showed it to us in the first case, and it isn't even long enough to pad the runtime. So... yeah. Unnecessarily repeated cutscene is unnecessary." *ding

"Both Datz and the Founder's Orb snuck into the courthouse unnoticed. And honestly, I don't know which is worse." *ding

"Ga'ran made Nahyuta prepare a case to prosecute his own father, only to step in at the last minute and do it herself. And while I'm not surprised she's this much of an asshole, I will be taking sins for it." *ding

(The costume change) "Well, Nahyuta just got a very nice view of his aunt stripping. There's no way her clothes would have fit underneath the other outfit, so... fun times for him and part of the gallery, I guess. Oh! Um... excuse me, miss. Your brassiere is showing." *ding

"Also, this bitch." *fifty sins

(The panic attack) "...This scene is horrifying. That's a _child_ up there!" *ding

"Can we just appreciate that even under the threat of a second death, Dhurke never tries to lie in his testimony? What a guy! A crazy guy, but-" *removes a sin

("A killer who doesn't remember his crime. How convenient. Next, I imagine you will try to plead insanity.") "Ga'ran mocks the DL-6 Incident. But no matter how hard she tries, she will never be Manfred Von Karm- oh, who am I kidding? This lady is where Manfred Von Karma would draw the damn line." *ding

"We all might wish we were as badass as Dhurke in this scene, but um... Ga'ran's still the prosecutor. Dead or not dead, I would still be very hesitant to do this much insulting and have my case thrown out. Different strokes, y'all." *ding

"When did Ga'ran get the law book? She wasn't carrying it when she walked in. Has it been under the prosecutor's bench this whole time? Did a guard have it? This game answers none of the important questions." *ding

(Ga'ran swings her paddle) "Anime wind powers." *ding

(The Guilty verdict) "More Fission Mailing." *ding

(Apollo's "different time" argument) "Why does Ga'ran allow this? She has no reason to, and it only hurts her case in the long run. Not to mention, Apollo has yet to find evidence of this being true, making it doubtful that it would be accepted, even under normal circumstances. Was it really that hard to make this case winnable? I want Apollo to live as much as the next player, but I want it to also be because he's a competent character, not solely because the plot demands it." *ding

(Replaying the scene with Maya and Rayfa from the third episode) "Using this for a flashback was poignant... the first time. Fifth time? Not so much." *ding

(Ga'ran offers to buy a new servant for Rayfa) "Hire. You will _hire_ a- oh fuck it. Would anyone really be surprised if Ga'ran had slaves?" *ding

(Ga'ran mocks Rayfa for being flat chested) "This scene. That's your niece, lady. Rayfa's not even fully grown, goddammit. These things take time!" *ding

"His Magistry is the only one nice enough in the room to sooth the teenage princess of his kingdom about her lack of boobs and holy fuck I just typed that." *ding

"Apollo doesn't yet know about Nayna's mad teleportation skills. I guess Phoenix forgot to mention it." *ding

"Scenario of Inga being stabbed by Nayna in his own quarters involves him fleeing in terror from the sight of his sister in law with a knife... while having a gun on hand. Do I have that right?" *ding

"In the times before, Nahyuta has to recite his sutra before the beads tighten, but here, he doesn't have to. Why did that change?" *ding

"Apollo's argument sounds plausible, but... are telling me there was no mention of Inga having drugs in his system in the autopsy report? That seems like a crazy thing to miss. If they didn't miss it and there was some, why wasn't this brought up sooner? If there wasn't anything, why wasn't Apollo shot down in two seconds? The sole fact that the coroner forgot to cover this is the second stroke of ridiculous luck Apollo is afforded in this case. I may love Apollo, but that's still a sin, goddammit!" *ding

("I know it's hard to believe, but this is a plausible sequence of events.") "Yamakazi explaining his vision of the finale somehow made it into the final version of the game." *ding

"This case is one of the longest of the series, so... yes, by all means, we need a ten minute session of questioning Apollo's resolve that amounts to picking up right where we left off with no surprises. With a case this long, who thought they needed to pad the runtime in any way?" *ding

(Ga'ran writes in the law book with her nails) "Welcome to Ace Attorney, where keys are knives, lighters are guns, statues are clocks, bracelets are lie detectors, buttons are cameras, cigars are stamps, fans are cigars, and nails are pens. Did I forget something? I feel like I'm forgetting something." *ding

"Also, cheating." *ding

("This hall has no need for such a worthless royal priestess.") "...Said the grand priestess with no spiritual power to speak of. Is this foreshadowing, hypocrisy, or just irony?" *ding

(The "let's cheer Rayfa up" scene) "Awwwww... Damn it! I'm not heartless." *removes a sin

"Also, Rayfa saying no to her aunt. Go Rayfa!" *removes another sin

(Rayfa announces she's prepared to face her father's death) "Well, I'm glad _one_ person was ready for the "Dhurke is dead" plot twist. I certainly wasn't." *no sin. Still reeling from Rayfa's awesomeness

"Also, where did her robe go? She let it drop to the ground, and then it disappeared. Did Amara ninja-steal it? As Dhurke?!" *ding

"So we know Inga can't remember faces, but what about bodies? The Seance vision clearly shows a large male figure, but the game goes on to accuse two women (with curvy, feminine figures) of the crime. Even if Ga'ran were to wear Dhurke's clothes, they wouldn't fit her, right? This seems like an easy dodge for the prosecution's side, so why is it never mentioned?" *ding

"I like this Seance, but it raises a lot more questions than it answers. If Inga was on the phone, why do we never hear it ring, or feel it vibrate, or see him pick it up in the vision? Was he on the phone the whole vision? If so, why don't we also hear his own voice? Why would his conversation have a long period of silence in it? Why did whichever subordinate he was calling not think it was weird his boss just suddenly stopped talking to him? Why didn't he or she just- I'm overthinking this when I could just as easily sin." *ding

"Also, some secret police they are, if they didn't report to Inga in the tomb the second Dhurke arrived in the airport despite being ordered to do so. If they had, they would have found his body before Dhurke got there, and this court session would have gone much differently (and probably with less execution threats)." *ding

"How _did_ nobody see and arrest Dhurke in the airport or on the the way to the temple? We have no indication Edgeworth's plane landed elsewhere, and Maya was still channeling him at the time. You know, for such a long case, you think they'd have time to explain some shit." *ding

"Why is Inga more familiar with lion's roar than Warbaa'd's? He was born and raised in Khura'in. His memories should recognize that shit." *ding

"The last sound Inga heard in his life was Datz laughing at him. What a way to go." *ding

("Heh! Now you see why Justice will always prevail!") "Apollo steals lines from Detective Fulbright." *ding

"Also, Nahyuta says the guards had all been assigned to watch the channeling chamber during the rite, but Ahlbi was still able to get in there and take a picture with no problems. If the guards are this incompetent, the idea that no one could get in the tomb while they watched is bullshit." *ding

"Why does Nahyuta have Ga'ran's schedule on hand?" *ding

("Trial's not even over yet, and I'm already exhausted") "Phoenix gives a voice to every player ever at this stage of the case. We haven't reached the crazy shit yet, but we sure as fuck have reached the complicated bits. Reminds me of AAI2, actually, not to mention- (sighs) I'm going to have a fun time with Rise from the Ashes, aren't I?" *ding

"Apollo doesn't take Rayfa up on her offer of a gift horse. Because that would have been a cool credits scene, goddammit." *ding

(Datz running off with Dhurke) "Datz isn't arrested for this. Did the police just give up trying?" *ding

(Ga'ran changes the law again) "More cheating." *ding

("You're the new guy with the loud voice, and a bit of an unreliable streak, right?") "Phoenix described Apollo to Maya this way when just two years ago, he was drunk piano player. Who was more reliable back then, again?" *ding

"Also, Maya finally gets to serve in a role where she isn't kidnapped or framed this game, and it's... a slightly altered reprise of Trials and Tribulations. Because when fans asked for their favorite characters back, they really just didn't want the series to change after _twelv_ _e years._ Clearly." *ding

"Inga feeds his kidnap victims burgers and lets them watch TV. I think he might just be the nicest kidnapper in the series. Also, the fact I can rank kidnappers tells me all I need to know about this series's frequency in using them." *ding

"No one thought until now to question Maya about the murder, even though she was supposedly there in both timeframes. Kinda seems like an important detail to miss, don't you think?" *ding

("Besides, I'd never go along quietly with some criminal's plan!") "'Unless that criminal dated my sister, of course!' For a role that rips off so much from T&T, it sure forgets a lot about the game." *ding

"Inga's true name." *three sins

"Also, Nayna's hair." *ding

("I'm No Spirit Medium, Sonny") "This testimony." *removes a sin

"Why is everyone so shocked that Nayna might be Nahyuta's mother? With that hair, I'd be more shocked if they _weren't_ related." *ding

"Oh hey, Nahyuta's talking. Not gonna lie, I kinda forgot he was in this case." *ding

(Amara's transformation) "I would just like to point out she came to court prepared to do this (with an extra set of clothes hidden... somewhere) on the off chance her true identity was revealed. (sighs) She _is_ Ga'ran's sister, isn't she?" *ding

(Apollo's "doesn't mater if you're a god" line) "Apollo is a badass." *removes a sin

"I just noticed something: how do you get to Ga'ran's palace on this map? There's no path to it, and it isn't pictured anywhere. Why?" *ding

("The Lawyer's Theory is Absurd" and "You Have No Proof") "All of Amara's testimony names." *removes a sin

("Where did those animals even come from?!") "Apollo Justice would be awesome at CinemaSins." *ding

(His Magistry says we can't point out contradictions) "In other words, Catch-22." ding

"Amara uses the witness stand to give marriage advice despite supposedly having the worst marriage in Khura'in. For some reason." *ding

"How does Amara make lightning rain down behind her _indoors_? Is that a special spiritual power Kurain never told ma about?" *ding

(The "Dhurke is secretly dead" plot twist) "This scene _fucked. Me. Up_." *ten sins removed as my head hits the sin counter repeatedly

"Why is Ema just hanging out in Amara's tomb the whole trial? That never gets explained." *ding

(Ga'ran laughs while everyone has Heroic BSOD) "This bitch." *five sins

"Dhurke pulls a Mia and talks to Apollo when no one is channeling him." *ding

"Why did Dhurke go to rescue Maya? You could say he knew about Inga's plan, but remember: when he got to the US, he didn't yet know who'd stolen the Founder's Orb. He might be a good guy, but he kinda has other priorities right now than kidnapped American girls, and this is ultimately what gets him killed. What I'm saying is, convoluted, twisted plot is convoluted." *ding

"Let's examine Dhurke's gunshots for a moment. If the first gunshot landed where the blood did in the cutscene... that's a shot to the heart right there. Death from those are instantaneous, which is nowhere near enough time for Dhurke to scare away Inga and tell Maya what to do. Unless you're saying... Ace Attorney Investigations lied to me!" *ding

"Head of a revolutionary group for twenty three years has no clue how to react in the face of gunfire. Considered how much Khura'in loves their guns, the question isn't how Dhurke died three days ago, it's how he survived until then. He should be used to situations like this. Am I an asshole for sinning this? Yes, yes I am." *ding

"Also, how did no one hear gunshots coming out of the tomb? Rayfa lives next door to the place!" *ding

"Also, Inga fleeing in terror." *removes a sin

"You're telling me at 3PM, Amara stopped channeling the minister, burned his clothes, hid herself from Maya-as-Dhurke, snuck up behind her, used the magatama of parting to take Dhurke's spirit from Maya, knocked Maya out, took her clothes off, put Maya's original clothes back on, changed into Dhurke's clothes, bloodied them up with Inga's blood, tied Maya's unconscious body up, and channeled Dhurke all before the guards stormed into the tomb?! She didn't have enough time for half of this, let alone all eleven things. Since when is super speed a spiritual power?" *ding

"Nahyuta's argument that we haven't proven the murder was at 2PM yet sounds like bullshit, but the only way Apollo's argument from the Seance is definitive is if Datz's firecrackers were the only things capable of making those noises in the bazaar, he was the only one who could have laughed about it, and Shah'do is the only dog in Khura'in who might have been in the bazaar at this time. In other words, Jerkass Has a Point." *ding

"How is the blue pendant still laying on top of Dhurke's body? Ga'ran stripped his corpse to murder Inga, remember? Shouldn't it at least be underneath him?" *ding

"Also, this game involves waaaay too much stripping to still be rated T. We got Tahrust taking Maya's top off, Amara taking Maya's clothes off, Apollo being strip searched by Ga'ran's guards, Ga'ran stripping her enemy's corpse, Ga'ran and Amara changing clothes in public... plus two real animation scenes of people getting shot! How is this game not rated M when DD got an M rating solely for bloody Athena?" *ding

"And Amara opens her eyes to the truth... literally. Subtlety is never very consistent in these games." *ding

(Apollo acts shady about where he got the channeling photo) "Is he hiding where he got it to protect Ahlbi, or to protect the writers from acknowledging the bullshit it would require to get Ahlbi into position to take the photo? Either way, for a photo so crucial to the plot, it really has a hard time existing plausibly." *ding

(Brightening the photo) "So they DO acknowledge Photoshop exists in this universe, but still take every photo to be irrefutable evidence? Okay..." *ding

"Boobs are court evidence, and I am jumping for joy. You have no idea how long I have waited to mock Honest Trailers, so here it goes... (in HT voice) Join Apollo as he seeks to save a country from a tyrant using forensics, spirit channeling, shady photos, and BEWBS." *removes a sin because I got to do that

(Apollo asks to see Amara's chest) "More of Amara stripping in public. Wait, that's not a sin." *no sin

(Amara gets shot) "This scene is dramatic and all, but there are a few problems. Amara spent several seconds (longer than the average dramatic pause of this game) waiting to answer the question for no apparent reason. Was she waiting to get shot? The guard who shot her would have made noise getting into position and loading his gun, but nobody noticed or tried to stop him. And finally, Amara was shot diagonally, with blood appearing on her left side, but her killer is _also_ off to her left, so how did this shooting work? The angle of the gunshot should have shot through her on the right side. So basically... Amara's shooting was a conspiracy to take Ga'ran down: discuss." *ding

"I just noticed the time and place subtitles no longer list the time of day in this trial. Even the game doesn't know how this trial only took one day." *ding

(Back to trial with lots of long pauses) "...And everyone will take several minutes to speak in the 'Nahyuta pulls a Blackquill' scene, thank you." *ding

"Nahyuta's confession is ridiculous, but he is right about one thing: we have no clue where he was or what he was doing at the time of the crime. For all we can prove, he and Ema could have been fucking in a prayer chamber." *ding

("I consider it divine judgement cast upon a fiend who sought to...") "When did Light Yagami enter this case? I mean, I wouldn't be that surprised a this point, but-" *ding

"Now that I think about it, how did a photo of Amara with Rayfa end up with Inga? Did a spy take it to prove their location to him? Was it on Amara when she was recaptured? The world may never know." *ding

"Why is Mr. Edgeworth the only prosecutor allowed to scream "Hold it!" with a voice actor? They already had Matthew Mercer in the studio for three other things, and I have a hard time believing _two words_ cost much extra." *ding

"In the final leg of this case, it isn't evidence that saves the day, but the sentiment between Nahyuta and his father. Dual Destinies wishes it pulled such a twist with emotions." *no sin

(The Seance for Jove Justice) "Even as a baby, Apollo had hair horns." *ding

"For the first time this game, Rayfa's insights are completely neutral, letting us know her development has come full circle." *removes a sin

"The only thing saving Nahyuta from taking the fall for Ga'ran is... the fact that a guy who died twenty three years ago could see a reflection in a shiny plate ten seconds before he died. If _one_ servant had been lazy in their polishing duties for _one_ day, he would be dead now." *ding

"Also, if Ga'ran had _everything else_ planned out perfectly... why would she be stupid enough to wear the easily identifiable Cuffs of Justice in the fire? Why personally enter at all? If it was to save Amara, why even touch Jove? Just wait for him to pass out from smoke inhalation and be done with it! Culprit foils her own plot for one of the most minor and stupid of reasons." *ding

(Apollo accusing Ga'ran of the assassination attempt) "'My name is Apollo Justice. You killed my father. Prepare to die.' This reference did not make it into the final version of the game." *ding

(Nahyuta removes his glove and retracts his confession, saying long live the revolution) "Nahyuta is a badass." *removes five sins

"How does Ga'ran reattach her fake nails so quickly? I want that ability, goddammit." *ding

(Nahyuta helping Apollo) "Game misses the opportunity to let Nahyuta pull another Blackquill and hop up on the defense bench." *ding

"Ga'ran takes power by accusing somebody of killing their spouse, and falls from grace... because she killed her spouse. In other words, irony." *removes a sin

"Ga'ran's long pause, followed by laughing. I can't be the only one who thought of Damon Gant." *ding

("B-But that law is so broad that ANYONE could be convicted under it...") "Apollo's steals my lines from the first case. If even the game itself was willing to acknowledge how vague and shitty this law was worded, I'm surprised it was able to stick around this long. How has this thing not been amended after twenty-three years?!" *ding

(Ga'ran writes in the book once more) "Even more cheating." *ding

"Where is she writing in the amendments? The page she opens to looks the same all three times this happens. And doesn't she know it's unlucky to write names in red?" *ding

(The guards burst in) "How does Ga'ran waving her hand call the guards? They can't see her through the door, can they?" *ding

"Also, Ga'ran's laugh." *ding 205

("We dethrone her- right here, right now.") "Apollo is awesome." *removes five more sins

"(singing, followed by guitar music) It's the final Thought Route!" *removes another sin

(Apollo insists Ga'ran can't channel spirits) "They don't play Overtaken for this moment, missing the chance to make an awesome scene epic." *gives one sin back

(Ga'ran tries to summon a lawyer) "Hypocrisy." *ding

(Apollo's pointing knocks guards over) "And this one guy wasn't even hit by the anime wind blast. He just twirls and falls over for maximum dramaticism." *ding

"Where did their guards set their guns in this scene? They aren't holding them, and they can't be seen on the floor. They get them back in five seconds, so what gives?" *ding

"Also, there were six of them when they were holding Apollo, Phoenix and Nahyuta at gunpoint, but for Ga'ran, there are only four. Did the other two go the bathroom?" *ding

"Ga'ran's breakdown." *removes ten sins because ding dong the bitch is dead (or will soon be)

"The case is over. FINALLY." *removes another sin

(In the Accused Lobby) "Athena and Maya are chatting like old friends, but... isn't this the first time they've met?" *ding

(Trucy is here) "If you don't count DGS, Kay is the _only_ assistant character who didn't get a role in this case. Here's to hoping she shows up in a sequel, I guess?" *not a sin, just an observation

"Also, Edgeworth implies Trucy has stowed away in suitcase more than once. How has he not learned to check these things? And when did he or anyone have time to pack?" *ding

(Rayfa struggles to say Brother) "Aw..." *removes a sin

(Apollo is asked to stay in Khura'in) "Phoenix and Athena claim they'd be short on firepower if Apollo were to leave, but they go months without cases, and even then, they usually only have one or two lawyers working on them. They might miss Apollo, but in terms of absolute need, look only as far as Turnabout Reclaimed. Or Turnabout Time Traveler, with Athena." *ding

(Apollo says he'll eventually return to the US on Scout's Honor) "When was Apollo ever a Boy Scout?" *ding

(The plane ride/ parade cutscene) "And it's over, folks! No more sins! Just credits, adultery humor, and shipteasing!" *yay! Dobby is free!

"...Wait, there's a Thalassa scene at the end? Just like the one in AJ? Did they really think they could pull this stunt twice?" *turns out, I'm not done sinning. Fuck

"And a court scene? I get they want Apollo to scream the obligatory ending Objection, but... they couldn't have done this earlier?" *ding

"Apollo gets five minutes of being appreciated, then has everyone saddle him with ridiculous loads of work. Poor guy." *ding

"...Are we done now? Okay. Cue the sin tally!"

 **Total Sin Tally: 104+198= 302**

 **Sentence: 380 Cases (plus yak milking)**

* * *

 **A/N's: (screaming) I AM FREE! AT LAST!**

 **Wow that took forever. Sorry for the wait guys. I may have to through this again later, but I'm too excited and ready to post to do it now. This case has officially beaten Turnabout Academy for greatest number of sins and Turnabout for Tomorrow for longest review. I don't know how that will hold up to cases like The Grand Turnabout or Rise from the Ashes, but we'll see.**

 **Speaking of... which case do you want next? Turnabout Sisters or Turnabout Time Traveler? I will do the latter at some point, it's just... that case was stale. And after finishing this case, I really wanna get working on my next game. But if you all say you want Time Traveler before Sisters, I'll oblige. Let me know your thoughts, at least.**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this review! Don't forget to leave your own, and I'll see you on the far side!**


	7. Everything Wrong With: The DLC Case

Everything Wrong With: Ace Attorney: Spirit of Justice

Special Episode: Turnabout Time Traveler

"Opening cutscene makes case look like it's going to be way darker than it actually is." *ding

(Athena goes through the magic routine with Trucy) "Did Athena study gymnastics on top of law and analytical psychology? Because there's no way she's physically capable of any of this unless something like that happened. And that's impossible according to every law student I know, so... yeah. Athena's going to die." *ding

"Also, Phoenix has zero problems letting his daughter use an inexperienced Athena as a performer in tricks that can potentially kill her. Phoenix is a dick to his employee." *ding

"Trucy, a seventeen year old girl, handles all the accounting of the WAA. Let that sink in for a moment." *ding

"Larry Butz's jacket." *ding

(Showing the badge to Larry) "Larry's Objection does not get a speech bubble. Even the game isn't taking him seriously." *ding

"Larry pretends he has a shot with a woman he literally meets preparing to marry someone else. I think I can safely say this is the second worst attempt Larry has made at finding a stable girlfriend." *ding

"Ellen managed to outrun the police in a full-on wedding dress and (probably) heels without getting _anything_ dirty. Either the police are terrible at their jobs, or she is an awesome escape artist." *ding

"TV news continues to only report on what is pertinent to the game's characters at any given time." *ding

(Larry talks about his picture book career) "No way is a book titled 'Franzy's Whippity-Whip Trip' appropriate for children." *ding

("Cupiglet's Lovey Dovey Lark" is popular with 18-24 year old women) "...Just see my last sin for this one." *ding

(Ellen claims she's a time traveler) "Oh, so _this_ must be the new Doctor Who everyone's been talking about!" *ding

(Police surround the building) "Nothing ever happens to Larry for making a bomb threat or helping a fugitive flee the law. Considering the events of the last game, should the police really let him off so easily?" *ding

"Also, after leaving for Khura'in in the credits scene of the finale, Ema comes back to America for no apparent reason. This game goes on to employ blatant levels of trilogy nostalgia, so why not complete the circle and use Gumshoe? Was he really that difficult to render in 3D?" *ding

"Athena continues her pattern in this game of saying she's going to help, but ultimately being useless. Athena, you aren't a trilogy character. Don't even try to pretend like you're going to be important in this case." *ding

(At the Detention Center) "Ellen keeps a frying pan in her wedding dress. I'm... not going to question why it's there, but how did it not fall out during the police chase?" *ding

"Also, if Ellen cries this much, she must be dehydrated, like, all the time. Where is she keeping the water for this?" *ding

(Ellen pulls out a mirror and makeup) "How did that not fall out during the- I'm going to be repeating a _lot_ of my sins in this case, aren't I?" *ding

"Doesn't Ellen know food isn't allowed in Detention Center? Or is Yamakazi just forgetting he ever directed AAI2? And why would you want to forget your best work, anyway?" *ding

(Larry keeps crying over Ellen) "Thirty four year old man tries to get with twenty one year old woman getting married and no one thinks that's weird. Even for Larry." *ding

(Ellen fit a goddamn iron in her wedding dress) "Did Trucy lend this woman her magic panties? Because that is the only thing I can think of that explains this shit." *ding

(Larry stops helping Phoenix so he can harrass random women) "How many restraining orders do you think Larry has on him at this point? Are there whole sections of the city he can't enter now? What's that daily routine like?" *ding

"Phoenix says the airship is only tied down by a pole when it is clearly tied to the ground in several locations." *ding

(Edgeworth drives up) "Edgeworth drives over bench debris and nearly hits a person walking a dog, but the sound effects of his arrival are completely smooth. Why is that?" *ding

(Maya and Edgeworth) "How did Maya know the exact thing Edgeworth said to Phoenix when he showed up in the last game? She was in Khura'in at the time." *ding

"Also, Miles Edgeworth." *removes a sin

(Maya jumped in front of Edgeworth's car) "Maya attempts suicide in an effort to get a ride with Miles Edgeworth. I'm a fan of his too, but this is taking it a bit far, don't you think?" *ding

"Edgeworth claims no one else had the guts to take on the Sprockets in the same office that has people willing to stand against their head-of-the-PIC father, well known gangsters, their best friend the rockstar detective, their brother, an international spy whose actions wrongfully imprisoned them for seven years, and an orca. Way to diss your subordinates, Edgeworth. If you really wanted to justify your role in this case, you could have just said they're all busy now that Nahyuta is back in Khura'in. Is that _really_ so hard?" *three sins

(Ema says the incident occurred the night before) "And it took the Sprockets until the next morning to call the police... why, again?" *ding

"The entire Sprocket family and all their friends were supposedly vehemently opposed to the marriage and on the ship at the time of the crime, but none of them are ever even investigated as suspects, because... clout? Edgeworth made it very clear he doesn't give a fuck about clout, so how does this tiny cast make any sense?" *ding

"Ellen was supposedly harassed by lots of other servants (who also disliked the victim) and were likely on the ship at the time of the crime, but only Nichody is ever considered a suspect in this entire- didn't I _just_ write this sin?" *ding

"Note supposedly written by the victim never undergoes any sort of handwriting analysis, even though that exists in this universe." *ding

"Sorin Sprocket attended the Ted Tonate school of finding labor intensive alternatives to speaking." *ding

(Watching Sorin write in his book and play with a toy airplane) "This goes on for some time." *ding

"Also, Hugh O'Connor is secretly a Sprocket. Calling the theory now." *ding

(Sorin insisting time travel is possible) "Several minutes of pseudo-scientific bullshit." *ding

(Pierce Nichody) "Why do I share a name with a murderer? It was my name first, and not exactly a common one, so what's the deal, man?" *not really a sin, though

(Sprocket Manor) "Ah, so this is where they keep all the DGS rejects! Good to know, good to know... I'm sorry, what game am I playing, again?" *ding

"Maya is invited to a rich person's house, so naturally, her first instinct is to run around breaking things. Seems logical." *ding

("Fixing things is a simple matter. But fixing people is a different matter... Even a skilled physician can't bring back the dead.") "Foreshadowing." *ding

"Pi- _Nichody_ says he called the police the second he witnessed the crime, but it still took until ten am the next morning to arrest Ellen... why, again?" *ding

"Nichody's ringtone is neither a theme made for him nor that of the Steel Samurai." *ding

"Phoenix and Maya play a game of flower catch in the middle of a mansion, and no yells at them to get the fuck out. Does Maya really want to risk breaking something else?" *ding

("See? And this is why you'll never be rich!") "Of all the things keeping Phoenix from wealth, I would say buying burgers for you, going months without cases, and leaving the agency accounting to a teenager all rank above not badgering an airline company for a sponsorship, but what do I know? I'm just an asshole parodying a more popular media reviewer for the sake of entertainment." *ding

"Nothing ever happens to Larry for trespassing on the Sprocket's private property." *ding

"Larry misinterprets something vital to the case and draws it cliche. This really _was_ meant to be a trilogy highlight reel, wasn't it?" *ding

"Ironically enough, this case is the only one where Maya _doesn't_ reprise all her cliche trilogy roles. She stops playing defendant/kidnapping victim/secret keeper and acts like a normal assistant in this episode. I'd remove a sin, if I wasn't an asshole with higher standards than this." *ding

(Phoenix and Maya keep calling Nichody by his first name) "For no reason I can think of, I feel like adding another sin right about now." *ding

"Wait a second. Ellen has her wedding bouquet here, but the same bouquet is also lying around at Sprocket Manor. Now, _I_ might already know why Ellen has two bouquets, but that doesn't mean no one else should question it. Looking at you, Phoenix." *ding

(Trial begins) "Trial begins not with an opening statement, but with dinner plans. And naturally, everyone forgets to invite both me and the bailiff, who has been there all along. Between this and their inability to move, this game is a real dick to the bailiffs of this country." *ding

(Ema: ...but, just this once, I intend to faithfully and fully testify for the prosecution!) "You mean your job?" *ding

"Edgeworth's voice. I sinned this in the DD review, and I'm sinning it here. They'd be better off leaving him silent." *ding

"Phoenix and Edgeworth waste precious trial time arguing about flowers and Edgeworth's love life. And I think I know why this case wasn't included in the main game." *ding

("Call me cocky all you want, Mr. Wright, but my confidence is rarely misplaced.") Except for _all_ the times Edgeworth goes up against Phoenix, save one. After all these years, you'd think Edgeworth would have gotten the message by now: unless it's the AAI's or Farewell, My Turnabout, prosecutors can't win shit." *ding

("Wow. It's been a while since I've had this much excitement!") "Maya says mere months after living in Khura'in for two years, participating in a sacred rite few have ever seen, getting accused of murder, being kidnapped and held for ransom by a royal consort, and channeling a revolutionary leader for days on end, only to watch as Phoenix's subordinate takes down a country's queen and changes an entire country in a day. And I thought Athena was supposed to be the one with the memory of a spring chick." *ding

("Now douse yourself in gasoline! But don't worry. It's a magic trick after all, so it's perfectly safe.") "Trucy says to Athena, even though she believes her own mother _died_ while practicing a magic trick. Did anyone do any research before including Trucy in this case, or did they just figure she wasn't a trilogy character and no one playing this case cares if her characterization makes any sense?" *two sins

("Nick is a Jerk Face!") "This testimony." *ding

("Nick! Ol' buddy! Ol' pal!") "Scooby Doo reference. Wait, that's not a sin." *for once

"Image of Larry being detained by Sprocket personnel appears to include a guy punching his own face." *ding

(Larry presents evidence, accompanied by a finger point and the Pursuit theme) *quietly removes a sin

(the two reception pictures) "We interrupt your regularly scheduled murder mystery to bring you... Spot the Difference!" *ding

(Edgeworth refuses to accept time travel) "Said the guy who also refused to accept spirit channeling until at least Bridge to the Turnabout. Look at the game you're in, Edgeworth. If Phoenix can grow slightly more genre savvy over the years, so can you. (I mean, he's ultimately right, but-)" *ding

(Maya tells Edgeworth he'd yell at the screen every five seconds on movie dates) "Maya confirms that Edgeworth would be awesome at CinemaSins." *no sin. I would _love_ to work with Miles Edgeworth

(Nichody confesses to being an accomplice to throw Ellen under the bus) "And Nichody is not immediately arrested for this... why, again? Why give Nichody time to escape? He works for an aviation company that could fly him anywhere. Is that not the very definition of a flight risk?" *ding

("Please do feel free to travel back in time, Mr. Wright... and attempt to do this trial over again.") "Edgeworth is either savage or newly aware of the game's save mechanic. I can never be sure on this one." *ding

(At the agency after the trial) "Recapping shit we already know." *ding

(Larry wants to become a lawyer) "Larry Butz: Ace Attorney did not make it to the final version of this DLC case. Because that would have been entertaining." *ding

"Phoenix continues to give zero fucks about his daughter risking Athena's life in a magic trick. Sure, I was sad when Apollo left the WAA last case, but I'm beginning to think he made the right decision. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Phoenix is a dick to his employee." *ding

(Nichody rose through the ranks as family butler in only a year) "And that, my friends, is what being with a powerful businessman's daughter gets you. A nice, powerful position where you tell all the other servants what to do, negotiate with foreign countries, work to put a stop to the opioid epidemic, meet with Russian lawyers, and- I'm sorry, what were we talking about?" *ding

(Maya jokes that she has the makings of a "great detective") "Well, if DGS is anything to go by, all you need is the name, costume, and someone to Joint Logic with. Accurate deductions are optional." *ding

(stabbed with a candelabra) "So Yamakazi DOES remember AAI2. What's up with all the food in the Detention Center, then?" *ding

"Phoenix and Maya say they got on the lift up to the vista deck, but we can't see them on it or their point of view while on it in either shot. They stand on the lift when examining the far area of the hold. It wasn't like they _couldn't_ animate the angle change. They just... didn't." *ding

(Examining Sorin's notebook) "Character experiences rare memory disorder that allows them to be manipulated by the true culprit... I would say cliche, but it's really only happened twice (three, if you want to argue Kay's amnesia). Then again, those cases are right after each other, so-" *sin anyway

(newspaper clipping/talking to Nichody) "Incident from x years ago is related to today cliche. _Also_ for the second time this game." *ding

"Nichody conveniently leaves out being Selena's fiance without ever actually lying. It's... actually, fairly clever." *removes a sin

(Athena tells Phoenix to "just do it") "Athena Cykes is confirmed to be a Nike fan." *ding

"Also, if Athena is trying to hide from Trucy, why is she going to places that Trucy knows she frequents, like the agency and the courthouse? Shouldn't she hide out in places Trucy has never been, like the rakugo theater or Whet Soba? It's not like Trucy is a particularly good finder, it's more like Athena sucks at hiding." *ding

("If you bail on me one more time, Athena, I'm going to use a real blade on you.") "Considering Trucy was _just exonerated_ for stabbing her costar mere months ago, making a threat like this is in a bit of poor taste, don't you think?" *ding

"Phoenix continues to give no fucks about Athena's life being threatened by his daughter. I take it this was supposed to be comedy? If I could format a bonus round in this medium, this would be a bonus round. ...But I can't, so expect a _lot_ of repeated sins." *ding

(Back in court) "Edgeworth's steals all of Phoenix's thunder in the first five minutes. It makes sense, considering how many times they've faced each other, but it still makes the previous investigation feel pretty pointless, save seemingly minor details. All we would have had to do is come to court and get all the same information. We don't even get anything new, we just get to watch all the things we've already seen recyc- hey, that's a pretty good way to describe this case, now that I think about it." *ding

"Sorin can fold paper planes one-handed in five seconds. I want that skill, goddammit!" *ding

"Does it still count under the 'Edgeworth can't get witnesses to _say_ their name' cliche if the witness writes their name down? I can never be sure on this one." *ding

(Sorin used the escape hatch to reach the vista deck faster) "Make no mistake, this is badass, but, um... how would Sorin have known Gloomsbury and Ellen were headed for the vista deck? As of now, the two of them appeared to have made no indication of that fact. I hate to laugh at the cool, but this requires that he risked his life on an assumption that only _happened_ to be right." *only a half-sin

(Edgeworth calls bullshit on the power of love) "Edgeworth insists he'll never get married, but he misses the chance to pull a Moseby and declare marriage to his job. Way to miss the opportunity, Edgeworth." *ding

(The sign is the pterodactyl) "Some bullshit." *ding

(Sorin confesses to his memory disorder) "I didn't find any new sins in this scene, but I do want to point out that the only reason Phoenix was able to prove this in court is because he and Maya damaged this guy's personal property after snooping through it. Because that's legal in this universe." *ding

(The zoom out of Phoenix's shocked face) "I have to admit, this made me laugh more than it should. (laughs) He looks like Beaker from the Muppets." *no sin

"Also, Sorin killed his beloved sister in a car accident, a la Reunion, and Turnabout." *ding

(Phoenix presents the rip in the journal page) "So the writers of this case DID go back and look at AJ (or at least Turnabout Succession) to put this case together. What's up with Trucy, then?" *ding

(Ellen faints)"Fainting in court cliche." *ding

(Sorin takes off on a jetpack) "Whoa! ...I want one!" *removes a sin because jetpacks are cool

(Sorin faints) "Fainting in court cliche. Again." *ding

"Nichody says Ellen only hit Gloomsbury to protect her husband to be, and that isn't considered justifiable defense of a third party... why, again? If self defense exists in this universe, defense of a third party should, too. Just saying." *ding

(The note wasn't written by Gloomsbury) "You know what this case unintentionally reminds me of? The Forgotten Turnabout. Think: you have notes from the victim that were actually written by somebody else, a vengeful victim who tried to kill someone only to be hit on the head, trapped in a storage area, and dead later, you have somebody stabbed by a candelabra that was _not_ the murder weapon, Ema showing up in a way that makes little sense for the purpose of helping Edgeworth, elaborate cover-ups of illegal dealings orchestrated by the powerful, evidence with extreme similarities to trilogy items, the belief you have everything about the case resolved until the last half hour hits, the mastermind (who mostly operates from the periphery until the very end of his plan when things go awry) who trusted Edgeworth to end the case how they wanted it to only for things to backfire on them, and a scapegoat who's easily taken advantage of due to a form of amnesia. The best part about this case? I don't think they meant to do _any_ of that. The trilogy parallels were intentional. These (likely) weren't." *no sin

(Nichody's surgeon transformation) "Who's handing him tools? And WHY?" *ding

"Also, Ace Attorney, the franchise known for their crazy and unconventional murder mysteries, would like to bring you a case with the oldest trick in the book: the butler did it." *ding

(the silent testimony) "This was considered a worthwhile way to waste game time." *ding

"Also... why is the fixer-upper thingy capable of taking x-rays? Doesn't a surgeon like Nichody know that sort of radiation can be harmful to people in an uncontrolled setting? I'm beginning to think I know why he isn't a surgeon anymore..." *ding

(Nichody's ceaseless ranting) "This goes on for some time." *ding

(Nichody's breakdown is... actually, really sad) *quietly removes a sin

(The watch starts working) "Symbolism." *not really a sin

"Sorin proposing to Ellen somehow removes all traces of her makeup." *but the scene is too sweet for me to sin

(Sorin carries Ellen off on his jetpack) "Awwwwwww... I'm so jealous. I want a jetpack sooooo bad." *removes a sin

(The wedding cutscene) "...Yeah, Larry is dead." *ding

 **Total Sin Tally: 87.5**

 **Sentence: Telling Franziska about "Franzy's Whippity-Whip Trip" (in person)**

* * *

 **A/N's: ...I gotta say, I was expecting to write more sins than this. I thought for sure I would cross the hundred sin threshold! But to be honest, I didn't find this case all that interesting, so I totally could have missed something.**

 **It's not that it was a bad case. it was more like everything reminded me of something else, and that just made it predictable. It's one thing to take one case that maybe didn't do so well (Big Top) and turn it into something better (Reclaimed) or take a case everyone remembers the tropes of (Samurai) and use the familiarity to avert expectations (Farewell), but to just randomly take from a bunch of cases and shove it all into a hodge-podge intended to stand on its own? It just didn't work for me. Kudos to you if you enjoyed it though.**

 **Anyway, I am officially done sinning Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney: Spirit of Justice. For anyone curious, the game's total sin count is 782.5. To compare, Dual Destinies received 795 sins, and while I haven't finished sinning the first game, and its two longest cases are probably going to get the most sins, the first game currently stands at 146 sins. I don't know if this means anything to anyone, but in case you wanted to know and didn't feel like doing the addition yourself.**

 **Now, I'm off to other projects (most notably, a review of Turnabout Goodbyes), but don't forget to leave your review before you leave! Thanks for sticking with me, and I'll see you on the far side!**


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